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Balmund: Eager to hear a groovy ballad about the lake you were currently waist deep in, you offer up some snacks to the odd hippie folk. “Is that a Roasted Ham?” chubby nomad utters, his head peaking curiously over the others – eyes welling up with excitement. The girl rolls her eyes. “Moku, we only eat Soy and Beans, remember?” Moku’s head droops back down in a mixture of disappointment and humiliation. The leader of the funky bunch grins, signalling the others as he starts to strum a melody on his banjo. The gentle oaf’s drumming comes into play, with the pretty girl’s flute rounding off the musical trifecta. It was very relaxing; you’d have to remember to pay them when you got a chance.

♫ She hid away, just out of touch.
The men from up above, she didn’t like so much,
With their gnarly nets, traps and hooks,
And yellow submarines wherever she looks

Floundering from the coast and into the sand,
She found a lagoon, far in... Land?
Free from nasty folk, apart from loving pairs
She’ll steal away the men, into her watery laiiiiiir ♫

The hippie starts strumming a wicked banjo solo as the other players stop. You find yourself obliged to clap whilst Orcharist and Sothe aren’t so polite. In spite of this, the trio bow sporting wide-eyed grins, “So that my friend, is the legend of Laguna Lake”

“Uh, Chong, this is Kakatua Lagoon”, Moku remarks.

“Oh right, yeah...” An awkward silence fills the air, part of you wondering what the heck the three of them were on, but the silence is quickly broken by a motion in the waters. Suddenly you spot a stream of thick bubbles rise up from the depths of the lagoon, bursting violently on the surface. This is enough to strike your Pokémon’s attention, whilst the travelling nomad’s eyes widen as they spin their heads in unison. “Oh man, it’s the mermaid from the song! We didn’t mean what we said!” The three duck into their kayak, cowering as the bubbles got louder. Maybe this was something you should check out...

'What a great tune,' Balmund thought as the trio started playing. It was a shame they weren't into roasted, honey-glazed ham, but Balmund would try to remember to pay them pack properly afterwards. Meanwhile he listened to the tale of the shy and elusive mermaid, who found a safe haven from greedy hunters on Kakatua Lagoon and was said to steal men into her watery lair. As many stories, they all had a part of supersticion and a part of truth to them, and Balmund wondered just what bits were which. That didn't matter much to him though, as his mind was blown into daydreaming land as the leader of the group, Chong, started his wicked banjo solo. A standing ovation was the least he could do in the end as the trio bowed with wide-eyed grins, though Balmund's Pokémon didn't seem to share the same feeling; Sothe looking rather indifferent whereas Chris just wasn't into praising a good performance, she always expected the best for her by default.

Things suddenly had a turn for the unexpected though as a thick stream of bubbles rises and bursts violently from the depths of the lagoon and into the surface. Fear seems to strike the nomads as they comically apologize while shaking their heads in unison, cowering into their kayaks as the bubbles got louder. Balmund wasn't sure if it could be the legendary mermaid, but whatever it was, if it meant harm he would have to do something about it, and the first thing would be to try and calm down both the threat as well the panicked hippies.

"Sothe, let out your Sweet Scent as you sing a Grasswhistle," he quickly turned to his Sceptile.

"Chris, Coil up and be prepared to use your Poison Fang on my mark," he then instructed. He didn't want to harm a creature until he was sure it meant a threat to him and his Pokémon, but it was best to be ready for such an occasion as he stood by and cautiously observed.

“Okay Meinfoo, Fake Out on Ralts then follow up with a Double Slap! Wingull, use Growl then strike that Wailmer with a Quick Attack!” As quickly as the two orders are volleyed the battle gets underway. Kids make their way down the waterslides as a small crowd forms around the pool, the Wailmer calf not used to so much attention. With that, Ralts goes for the round’s opener by inhaling. Before he can exhale however he’s quickly cut off by the Meinfoo who dashes forward at lightning speed – Faking left as he knocks the air Out of the emotion Pokémon’s windpipes with a weak strike. Right on queue the Wingull steals Kara’s thunder with a Growl of its own, the ear-splitting squawk echoing down the arena. Keiko is moreso intimidated than his partner though, too shy to follow his orders right now. This leaves things up to Kara who dashes in with a Shadow Sneak, disappearing from view before striking the mustelid up close for a light hit. With the distance closed it’s an opportune chance for Meinfoo to counter as he Slaps Ralts in the face, then once more on the other cheek for Double the effect. Wingull on the other hand swoops forward at breakneck speed with poor Keiko on its sights. The Wailmer shuts its eyes tight as it nervously fires off a Water Gun, the pressurised blast smacking the gull and pushing it back to the other side of the pool before it can hit! Keiko opens its eyes, somewhat more confident in his abilities. The kid points ahead, “Don’t count us out yet! Both strike with a Quick Attack, then attack Meinfoo take Ralts with a Pound whilst Wingull uses Wing Attack on Wailmer!”

“Okay Meinfoo, Fake Out on Ralts then follow up with a Double Slap! Wingull, use Growl then strike that Wailmer with a Quick Attack!”

The kiddos crowd around the battle, making Keiko even more nervous. Rey looks around, observing the little kids. He notices how unnerved Keiko is as he comes closer to the whale.

"Keiko! Don't be scared! I'm here for you!" he said with a hug. He winks at the baby and makes his way to outside of the battling area as the battle starts.

Kara starts up his attack only to be interrupted by the cursed Mienfoo. This stops the Ralt's attempt of attacking. This prompts the angered Ralts to start growling, this time being interrupted by the enemy's Wingull using the same move. The sound assault scares Keiko even more, preventing him from using his move.

"Damn it. Why do they have to scare poor Keiko." Rey thinks to himself. He wipes off the sweat forming on his forehead as the battle isn't going the way it should for them.

"Sorry for that, Kara and Keiko! We can still do this!" he shouts, hoping to release some tension from his Pokemon.

Kara nods as he suddenly disappears from view, appearing behind the Mienfoo for a light hit. Mienfoo counters by slapping the boy's partner. Meanwhile, Wingull rushes at the Wailmer, but he successfully pushes him back before the hit with a Water Gun.

"Nice shot Keiko! You're doing quite well! Now it's time to take revenge! Kara! Strike that Wingull with a Thunderpunch as it comes in for Quick Attack. Blast Mienfoo away as it closes in for the Pound with a Psychic. Your telekinetic powers should be strong enough with that spoon of yours. As for you Keiko, Water Gun Mienfoo as its using Quick Attack. Water Gun again at Wingull before it gets to use Wing Attack on you."

A tourist magnet, Whale Island is a large region of land that was formed from volcanic activity a millennia ago. There is a strange abundance of electrical energy present on this island which, rather than posing a problem, has complemented the island entirely. The entire area is a haven for water Pokémon with even the mountain craters filled to the brim, the abundance of water sports and holiday travel locations ensuring the time you spend here is never dull. Cities and townships are located all across the island, with resorts, inns, and travel lodges in ample supply. The Hydra River is the main waterway, starting up in the north-west area of the island and down through the Central Plains where the great Hydro-Electric Dam has been constructed, before leading down to the south-eastern corner of the island and back out to sea. Whether it's action water sports you're after, or just lazing on a nice stretch of beach somewhere, you'll definitely find the place you're looking for on the famous Whale Island.

East Coast

By far the most popular tourist destination spot, the East Coast of Whale Island seems to be constantly abuzz with activity both day and night. Unfortunately the downside to this is the crime rate has risen so be sure to keep an eye out for the con artists and thieves who are looking to swindle unsuspecting travellers out of their holiday spending money. Despite this downside the east coast is a great place to holiday, especially if you're looking to make the most of daytime and night time entertainment.

Areas:Ampere Beach: The largest stretch of coastal sand in all of Fizzy Bubbles, Ampere Beach is famed for its sand which contains a mild electrical current that soothes the body. This charge is the result of the high salinity content, combined with the naturally high electricity from the central regions, providing an earthing ground for the static. As a result, the beach is often used in therapeutics, evident by the resort known as Pieli Harbour.

Wes ran his fingers through his shaggy hair as he strolled down the creaky sand-strewn boardwalk, briskly passing by the beach huts and ice cream stalls with a smug grin on his face. They’d made it to the largest stretch of coastal beach in whole of Fizzy Bubbles – Ampere Beach! The sun started to break out past the odd streaks of fluffy cloud, the seasoned trainer squinting as the blazing hot rays washed over his pale skin. He flicked on a pair of aviators to adjust, his cohort mimicking with a pair of Blackglasses. Wes wanted to share the vacation with a juvenile comrade and eagerly flip-flopping in tow was The Situation – tugging his leathery pants up every couple of strides as they repeatedly slipped down to his ankles.

The boy was hoping to set up camp soon, his right arm somewhat strained from lugging such heavy bucket. The swish swashing springing from the plastic pail would invite some odd looks, but Wes didn’t bother. Guppy was awfully weak and needed some experience too. Wes looked down at the Magikarp as Sitch pulled his pants up to his torso musing on whether to steal an expensive belt off some naive tourist. The fish helplessly flopped his tailfin, splashing salty water up the kid’s arm every few seconds – his golden scales shimmering in the intense sunlight. Just as Wes tilted his head he spotted a nice patch of sand just a few yards further down the beach.

“C’mon Sitch, this looks as good a place as any to get our tan on!” Wes grinned. The Scraggy beamed, hopping off the boardwalk with his leathery soles protecting him from the baking sand. The teen wasn’t so lucky, frantically skirting down the beach like a bed of hot coals. The sand sent a tingle up the boy’s spine as it jammed between his toes, the amped coast coveted for its soothing electrical properties. Rolling out a towel Wes stripped down to his swimwear, crashing down next to Situation who’d already unfolded a metal sun deflector. Guppy’s bucket spattered with salt water as it settled on a hill of sand, the carp floundering feebly. Wes wrapped his hands around his head, the sound of the waves breaking against the coast coaxing him into midday siesta.

Whale Island Adventures: Batch 3

Apologies to uhhhh, jolteonjak and emp. This has been a *really* busy week so I've only done this far. Will give you three priority for next week, so look forward to that.

::Pieli Harbour::

Flame Mistress:

Something must've gone horribly wrong with Phillip as his words suddenly set off all alarms in your head. You weren't sure about his intentions anymore, and when he mentioned showing you some of the city's sceret locations your thoughts turned to the absolute worst scenario. A part of you wanted to believe him as the innocent and friendly person he portrayed himself as; to accept his offer and explore what was beyond all the fluff and tourist bait. You stuck to your instincts however as your mother's words echoed within your head, warning you about trusting strangers even if they were kids as well. You come up with an excuse as you decline his offer, picking up Flare and walking away with haste to safety while leaving a sad and confused boy behind. A part of you felt regret but you decided it wasn't worth the risk of putting your own and your Pokémon's safety in jeopardy.

Having ran a considerable distance away from Phillip you start to slow down and wonder what to do next as you try to forget the incident. Something started to feel terribly wrong however, and while you hadn't noticed in the heat of the moment you now realize you're carrying far less weight than you should! You already suspect what might've happened, but as you check the contents of your bag your fears are confirmed as you see it almost completely empty; only the Snorunt plushie was left behind. What really made your heart sink though was the realization that you no longer were carrying a single one of your Pokéballs with you. Topaz, Seraphina... all of them gone except for Flare. You had worried so much about the Vulpix's safety and indeed she was safe by your side, but at what cost? When did this even happen? What kind of thief was so stealthy and nimble to strip you of almost all your possesions without you or Flare even noticing? It couldn't possibly be Phillip, you were watching him the whole time, but he probably had planned this all along. Regardless of the hows, whys or whoms, the fact of the matter was that you were thoroughly robbed, and to add insult to injury you yourself were even nice enough to give the thief a vast headstart ahead of you by running away. If you don't do something now you may never see your precious Pokémon again!

What will you do?

From here onwards I'm afraid you can only use Flare until you get your stuff back; recalling her into her Pokéball won't be happening either until then. Good luck~

::Raikou's Effigy::

Nightfall: Pondering on a way to gain an edge on this battle, you choose to command some very unusual orders. Even Black seemed reluctant to comply, but nods regardless and proceeds to follow instructions, running around her opponent while looking for the perfect opportunity to strike. Shinx wasn't going to make it easy however, as it turned round and around, carefully following the Purrloin's movements. Finally seeing a small opening, Black comforms and leaps to the Shinx's side, wrestling against the Electric-type so as to keep an advantageous position on top of it; a very hard task as it thrashed about more like an enraged Tauros than a tame Ponyta.

She manages to hold on, fearing not the possibility of paralysis, accidental or otherwise, thanks to her Limber ability; not that Shinxes are particularly known for their overly static fur. Her ability wouldn't protect her from an electric shock however as she would soon find out, the Shinx cackling with electricity as it shrouded itself in lightning with his Spark, shocking Black and forcing her to jump out in pain and astonishment from the attack. Lacking the physical portion of the attack that didn't do as much damage as it would've, but it still smarted her a lot. It didn't seem to you that that Shinx was experienced enough to know that attack, but it did, and whether it knew it through experience or some other shenanigans the fact was that Black payed the price for it.

Shinx begins to take on the offensive now as it begins to Charge electricity until suddenly, sensing something in the air, it abruptly stops and starts to quickly run away to the forest, much to your surprise.

"Aw dangit, not again!" you hear the voice of a man, scrawny in appearance as you turned to look at him. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I thought it would be different this time!" he started apologizing to you.

It seems you have him to blame for ruining your catch, but what the hell did he want with that Shinx anyways?

What will you do?

::The Lighthouse::

Marion Ette: Despite being comfortable with haunted environments you take a deep breath as you encounter the familiar yet aggresive prescence of spirits. You had a strong affinity for ghosts, and while that eased communication, you knew that wouldn't be to calm down an enraged apparition. Just what horrible and violent fate had they gone through to become so restless and angry? Whatever it was you were prepared for the worst as you saw the chances of getting caught in battle getting higher and higher.

You turn to August, stoic as she was bafore, and you both nod to each in acknowledgement of the strong presence and to reassure that you were each watching for the other's back. It was important to remain silent while wandering around a such a haunted place. Many had taunted the dead before, calling them out obnoxiously with their words and you were well aware of how adverse an effect that usually had. You also knew however that no matter how many precautions you took your mere trespassing was already enough to provoke their wrath. The most sensible thing to do would be to turn around and leave, but that wouldn't really do anything to ease their pain; you had to address their source of torment yourself.

You decide to start your investigation at the basement as you point towards its direction. In your mind it was the best possible starting point to unravel the mystery of the lighthouse. You walk towards the basement's door with incredible caution, looking around for any signs of imminent danger. The pressure was starting to get a bit overwhelming and you almost felt like you were making way through a heavily saturated subway train. You could hear the subtle and unintelligible murmurs of those around you, and while you couldn't really make out what they said anymore than one listening to a rambunctious crowd, you were pretty sure they were talking about you. You start feeling them channel a wide array of emotions through your body, ranging from fear, confusion and sorrow, to pure anger and malice. Where you could feel some spirits almost stretch out and plea for help like a beggar off the streets, you could also feel some others look all over you both with killer instinct, like a hungry pack of wolves with their prey. This was no normal haunting, that's for sure.

You reach out for basement door's handle; your hand making contact with a thick layer of dust in the process. If this place was manned, whoever was in charge of cleaning duties should probably be fired, though nobody could really blame the poor, hypothetical employee; there just isn't a salary juicy enough to compensate for working conditions like these. You turn the handle and much to your surprise it didn't offer nearly as much resistance as the previous one. Before you laid a long stairway that led down into an impenetrable darkness, challenging even trained eyes like yours. As you walk down the steps you suddenly feel the pressure ease up, as if they were staying behind, leaving both you and August alone for reasons unknown. While you could still feel their presence behind you, the door seemed to be a frontier they weren't willing to cross, or maybe they just couldn't. You can now hear the faint but rapid beat of electric engines running, and while that seems to answer one question, it only generates many more in the process. Maybe someone is keeping some sort of maintenance here, but who, why and how? Further research would be necessary, and, while it wasn't an absolute necessity for you, especially considering August's hieghtened senses to guide your way, a light source would be imperative if you wanted to explore the basement in detail. Maybe it wouldn't disturb the ghosts now that they seemed to leave you up to your own fate, but there's probably something else down there that you wouldn't want to wake up either.

What will you do?

::Wet'n'Wild Recreation Park::

Mon1010: "Well you might as well stay with us, in that case," Alice said upon hearing that you were a lone traveller. "People from Unova should stay close to one another, don't you think? Straiton is awesome by the way. We're all from Castelia, but I've been to Straiton a few times. Their Pokémon Gym just happens to be the best restaurant in the area too; how original! Munnas are just the cutest, and I think it's great that you have one; they say real men wear pink, you know?" she finished giggling with a wink.

It seemed like whatever fears you had about being teased for your choice of a Pokémon partner would no longer be a concern now, and you two would probably have many more stories to share until you suddenly hear a whistle, signaling the start of the casual pool game.

"Oh, it's starting already! Come on now!" Alice exclaimed cheerfully, and you too get in position in the rear line next to her. Starting from the opposing side the ball is vigorously tossed over the net, and woe to you it came into your general direction. You mange however to bounce it off to a teammate who finally gets it over back to the other side, scoring a point in the process. It always feels especially good to help score one for the team, especially when sports isn't really one's thing. Nobody seemed to be taking themselves too seriously, as it was all silly and relaxing laughter in the pool. The ball bounced back and forth, and you find yourself passing a few, scoring some and them fumbling others. It was all in good fun and nobody really seemed to be keeping track the score save for the designated refree; not that anybody really cared, it was just a thing to take off stress with some light pool exercise. After a few sets the game was over and though everyone looked happy, your team celebrated the most having found themselves the winners.

You find yourself giving a victorious high five to your newly met friend as the rest of the players scattered about on to their own business. Two of such players then approached your group. You remember them being from your team and having called Alice by her name, which meant they probably knew each other already, though you still hadn't had the chance for a proper introduction.

"Hi!" immidiately replied the tall and skinny man with curly, ginger hair. "Pete," he then said as he streched out his hand to you.

"Lucy," said the petite girl with asian features who waived shyly. "Oooooh, you have a Munna? So cute."

"We're supposed to meet up with Tony a the Park's restaurant before hitting some of the more extreme games," Alice said as she turned to you. "Probably not a good idea to eat before trying them out, but hey, we're hungry! Haha! Wanna come over?"

How nice, isn't it? Though having some burgers and fries right now is probably not for the best, it seems you've found a nice group of people to hang out with. It takes more than one to have a party after all.

Marion Ette: Despite being comfortable with haunted environments you take a deep breath as you encounter the familiar yet aggresive prescence of spirits. You had a strong affinity for ghosts, and while that eased communication, you knew that wouldn't be to calm down an enraged apparition. Just what horrible and violent fate had they gone through to become so restless and angry? Whatever it was you were prepared for the worst as you saw the chances of getting caught in battle getting higher and higher.

You turn to August, stoic as she was bafore, and you both nod to each in acknowledgement of the strong presence and to reassure that you were each watching for the other's back. It was important to remain silent while wandering around a such a haunted place. Many had taunted the dead before, calling them out obnoxiously with their words and you were well aware of how adverse an effect that usually had. You also knew however that no matter how many precautions you took your mere trespassing was already enough to provoke their wrath. The most sensible thing to do would be to turn around and leave, but that wouldn't really do anything to ease their pain; you had to address their source of torment yourself.

You decide to start your investigation at the basement as you point towards its direction. In your mind it was the best possible starting point to unravel the mystery of the lighthouse. You walk towards the basement's door with incredible caution, looking around for any signs of imminent danger. The pressure was starting to get a bit overwhelming and you almost felt like you were making way through a heavily saturated subway train. You could hear the subtle and unintelligible murmurs of those around you, and while you couldn't really make out what they said anymore than one listening to a rambunctious crowd, you were pretty sure they were talking about you. You start feeling them channel a wide array of emotions through your body, ranging from fear, confusion and sorrow, to pure anger and malice. Where you could feel some spirits almost stretch out and plea for help like a beggar off the streets, you could also feel some others look all over you both with killer instinct, like a hungry pack of wolves with their prey. This was no normal haunting, that's for sure.

You reach out for basement door's handle; your hand making contact with a thick layer of dust in the process. If this place was manned, whoever was in charge of cleaning duties should probably be fired, though nobody could really blame the poor, hypothetical employee; there just isn't a salary juicy enough to compensate for working conditions like these. You turn the handle and much to your surprise it didn't offer nearly as much resistance as the previous one. Before you laid a long stairway that led down into an impenetrable darkness, challenging even trained eyes like yours. As you walk down the steps you suddenly feel the pressure ease up, as if they were staying behind, leaving both you and August alone for reasons unknown. While you could still feel their presence behind you, the door seemed to be a frontier they weren't willing to cross, or maybe they just couldn't. You can now hear the faint but rapid beat of electric engines running, and while that seems to answer one question, it only generates many more in the process. Maybe someone is keeping some sort of maintenance here, but who, why and how? Further research would be necessary, and, while it wasn't an absolute necessity for you, especially considering August's hieghtened senses to guide your way, a light source would be imperative if you wanted to explore the basement in detail. Maybe it wouldn't disturb the ghosts now that they seemed to leave you up to your own fate, but there's probably something else down there that you wouldn't want to wake up either.

What will you do?

Marion descends the stairs with August, who holds her hand to ensure that she is able to go through the dark without tripping or banging into a wall. On top of the disorientation that comes with total darkness, Marion is still shaken by the transference of such strong emotion by the ghosts of the lighthouse. Despite being well-versed in ghost-type channeling, their strong sadness and anger was overwhelming to experience. Compounded with the utter darkness in which she finds herself, Marion is not completely sure in her footing, though August is careful to move slowly and keep her trainer safe. Low-light environments were fine for Marion, but even she was not accustomed to this level of darkness.

Marion considers what she has experienced so far. Based on the hum of electrical machines that she hears as she descends, the lighthouse seems, at least in part, powered by normal means. Even so, that does not explain the immense supernatural presence that weighed down on Marion the moment she entered. Why aren’t those ghosts following her and August into the basement? Marion can still feel traces of ethereal ire running through her veins from her encounter with the spirits, and she involuntarily shudders. As she descends the stairs, Marion hums a little melody to calm herself down; the melody then takes on some lyrics, from a poem by Philip Higson:

”Our beacons still shine on but they are dead
Like stars now posthumous or Nietzsche’s God;
Life struggles on unseen, a lonely plod,
In the cold phosphor-glare that corpses shed.”

August listens silently to Marion’s song, but stops her gently once they reach the bottom of the stairs, to prevent Marion from overstepping and falling forward. The motion, meant to stop Marion from falling, also stops her singing. She is pensive for a few moments, considering what to do next.

Marion realizes that a light source would be helpful in navigating the area; however, Marion has a different strategy in mind for figuring out the nature of her surroundings. Groping the darkness for her belt, she reaches for the Friend Ball which contains… well, a friend. Activating the Pokeball, she silently calls out her Crobat, Sangre. A small flash of light accompanies this action, though it should only illuminate the area briefly, and not entirely well. The light quickly forms the shape of the bat-like Pokemon, which emerges from the Pokeball in flight. Once the light of Sangre’s emergence from the Pokeball diminishes, the creature vanishes into the pitch black of the basement. Marion motions to Sangre to come closer to her; despite the darkness being so complete that it obscures even the hand with which Marion uses to summon her Pokemon to her, Sangre is able to see the command perfectly and fly over to his trainer. Despite not being able to see him or hear his silent flight, she can feel a slight flutter in the air from Sangre’s wings as they beat very close to her face. She whispers to her Pokemon: “Sangre, hun, I need you to let me know what’s going on down in this basement. I can’t see a thing. If you find anything interesting, lead August and I to it so that August might illuminate it by using fire punch into the air. Be sure to let me know immediately if you sense danger!” Though the action is unseen by Marion, Sangre nods and uses its well-developed sonar abilities to scan the area.

((My stats are now linked in my sig~))

Last edited by Marion Ette; 15th April 2012 at 7:33 PM.
Reason: August can participate now~

Nightfall: Pondering on a way to gain an edge on this battle, you choose to command some very unusual orders. Even Black seemed reluctant to comply, but nods regardless and proceeds to follow instructions, running around her opponent while looking for the perfect opportunity to strike. Shinx wasn't going to make it easy however, as it turned round and around, carefully following the Purrloin's movements. Finally seeing a small opening, Black comforms and leaps to the Shinx's side, wrestling against the Electric-type so as to keep an advantageous position on top of it; a very hard task as it thrashed about more like an enraged Tauros than a tame Ponyta.

She manages to hold on, fearing not the possibility of paralysis, accidental or otherwise, thanks to her Limber ability; not that Shinxes are particularly known for their overly static fur. Her ability wouldn't protect her from an electric shock however as she would soon find out, the Shinx cackling with electricity as it shrouded itself in lightning with his Spark, shocking Black and forcing her to jump out in pain and astonishment from the attack. Lacking the physical portion of the attack that didn't do as much damage as it would've, but it still smarted her a lot. It didn't seem to you that that Shinx was experienced enough to know that attack, but it did, and whether it knew it through experience or some other shenanigans the fact was that Black payed the price for it.

Shinx begins to take on the offensive now as it begins to Charge electricity until suddenly, sensing something in the air, it abruptly stops and starts to quickly run away to the forest, much to your surprise.

"Aw dangit, not again!" you hear the voice of a man, scrawny in appearance as you turned to look at him. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I thought it would be different this time!" he started apologizing to you.

It seems you have him to blame for ruining your catch, but what the hell did he want with that Shinx anyways?

What will you do?

Black hopped behind the Shinx, and waited for the perfect moment. She found a small gap and hopped on top of it and began riding it like a pony. The shinx was stubborn though - it zapped it with a spark and then began to charge, throwing Black off. Black was furious and as Fiona was about to command a attack, this rather scrawny old man appeared and chased away the shinx. Black was streaming.

"Aw dangit, not again!" you hear the voice of a man. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I thought it would be different this time!" he started apologizing to you.

At this Black went in a full Pursuit and chased after the shinx.

"BLACK!" Fiona called, but Black payed no attention. She groaned and turned on the man. "Now, answer this nice and clear - what the heck did you want with that shinx?" She asked in a tone that clearly showed that she was annoyed, but in a polite way.

Apologies to uhhhh, jolteonjak and emp. This has been a *really* busy week so I've only done this far. Will give you three priority for next week, so look forward to that.

::Pieli Harbour::

Flame Mistress:

Something must've gone horribly wrong with Phillip as his words suddenly set off all alarms in your head. You weren't sure about his intentions anymore, and when he mentioned showing you some of the city's sceret locations your thoughts turned to the absolute worst scenario. A part of you wanted to believe him as the innocent and friendly person he portrayed himself as; to accept his offer and explore what was beyond all the fluff and tourist bait. You stuck to your instincts however as your mother's words echoed within your head, warning you about trusting strangers even if they were kids as well. You come up with an excuse as you decline his offer, picking up Flare and walking away with haste to safety while leaving a sad and confused boy behind. A part of you felt regret but you decided it wasn't worth the risk of putting your own and your Pokémon's safety in jeopardy.

Having ran a considerable distance away from Phillip you start to slow down and wonder what to do next as you try to forget the incident. Something started to feel terribly wrong however, and while you hadn't noticed in the heat of the moment you now realize you're carrying far less weight than you should! You already suspect what might've happened, but as you check the contents of your bag your fears are confirmed as you see it almost completely empty; only the Snorunt plushie was left behind. What really made your heart sink though was the realization that you no longer were carrying a single one of your Pokéballs with you. Topaz, Seraphina... all of them gone except for Flare. You had worried so much about the Vulpix's safety and indeed she was safe by your side, but at what cost? When did this even happen? What kind of thief was so stealthy and nimble to strip you of almost all your possesions without you or Flare even noticing? It couldn't possibly be Phillip, you were watching him the whole time, but he probably had planned this all along. Regardless of the hows, whys or whoms, the fact of the matter was that you were thoroughly robbed, and to add insult to injury you yourself were even nice enough to give the thief a vast headstart ahead of you by running away. If you don't do something now you may never see your precious Pokémon again!

What will you do?

From here onwards I'm afraid you can only use Flare until you get your stuff back; recalling her into her Pokéball won't be happening either until then. Good luck~[/color]

Oh, by the way, it's Serafina, not Seraphina. =3 And it's a bit on the short side, as I current don't really know what to do...

"@$^*&%#^$@#%!!!"

That there was Charlotte spewing out all the insults and profanities she could think of - in her head, of course. Then again, who wouldn't after all their possessions were stolen, with the exception of a Snorunt plushie and their Vulpix?

"I am going to kill that *******!" Charlotte swore under her breath, steam practically spewing out from her ears in anger. She was certain that he had stolen all her possessions, even if she'd been watching him the whole time - it couldn't be anyone else. He must have sneaked up from behind silently, unzipped her bag and taken all her possessions and Pokemon. That was the only way that a thief could've taken everything from her bag so skilfully she could think of. Still cursing Phillip in her head, she walked on aimlessly through the streets, with Flare quite worried about her trainer's mental state right now.

Eventually, Charlotte returned to the same bench she had sat on when talking to Phillip, and sank down into the hard wood of the surface, and buried her head in her hands. Flare tried to comfort her by snuggling up to her, but Charlotte didn't do anything in return. She was practically penniless now - what was she going to do?

::Wet'n'Wild Recreation Park::Mon1010: "Well you might as well stay with us, in that case." Alice said upon hearing that you were a lone traveller. "People from Unova should stay close to one another don't you think? Straiton is awesome by the way. We're all from Castleia, but i've been to Straiton a few times. Their Pokemon Gym just happens to be one of the best restaurants in the area too; how original! Munnas are just the cutest, and I think it's great that you have one; they say real men wear pink, you know?" she finished giggling with a wink.

It seemed whatever fears you had about being teased for your choice in Pokemon partner would no longer be a concern, and you two would probably have many more stories to share untill you suddenly hear a whistle, signaling the start of the casual pool game.

"Oh it's starting already! Come on now!" Alice exclaimed cheerfully and you too get in position in the rear line next to her. Starting from the opposing side the ball is vigorously tossed over the net, and woe to you it came in your general direction. You manage to bounce it off to a teammate who finally gets it over back to the other side, scoring a point in the process. It always feels especially good to help score one for the team, especially when sports isn't really one's thing. Nobody seemed to be taking themselves too seriously, as it was all silly and relaxing laughter in the pool. The ball bounced back and forth, and you find yourself passing a few, scoring some and them fumbling others. It was all in good fun and nobody really seemed to be keeping track of the score save for the designated referee; not that anybody really cared, it was just a thing to take off stress with some light pool exercise. After a few sets the game was over and though everyone looked happy, your team celebrated the most having found themselves the winners.

You find yourself giving a victorious high five to your newly met friend as the rest of the players scattered about on to their own business.

Two of such players then approached your group. You remember them being on your team and having called Alice by name, which meant they probably knew each other already, though you still hadn't had a chance for a proper introduction

"Hi!" immediately replied the tall and skinny man with curly ginger hair. "Pete," he then said as he stretched out his hand to you.

"Lucy," said the petite girl with asian features who waived shyly. "Oooooh you have a Munna? So cute."

"We're supposed to meet up with Tony a the park's restaurant before hitting some of the more extreme games," Alice said as she turned to you. "Probably not a good idea to eat before trying them out, but hey, we're hungry! Haha! Wanna come over?"

How nice, isn't it? Though having some burgers and fries right now probably not for the best, it seems you've found a nice group of people to hang out with. It takes more than one to have a party after all.

What will you do?

Scott was relieved that someone else didn't start teasing him about his taste in Pokemon. When he was younger most guys were into Charizards, Nidokings, and other typically "manly" Pokemon, and he got a load of crap from them for openly liking a Pokemon seen as being "sissy." Though those days had long since passed, it was still upsetting for him to think about it. Still, it's not like he agreed with any of them, after he caught a Munna of his own to spite them. It's like Alice had said, real men wear pink. Before they could talk more, a whistle blew signaling the start of the game.

After getting into the position, the ball was tossed from the opposite side, and went flying in his direction. Fortunately, he managed to pass the ball to a teammate, and score a point for his side. He was proud to have done something right. He was never good at sports, and during his younger days, more often than not, he would wind up accidentally giving the other team a point, and making a fool of himself. Fortunately for him, this game wasn't as serious as most tend to take these kinds of things, so it was much more relaxing and enjoyable. No one seemed to really care about the score at all. After a few sets, the game was over. His team had won, and Scott was glad he had contributed to the victory. Meanwhile, Shaana sat on the side and watched. Mostly because using a Pokemon would probably be cheating.

After giving Alice a victorious high five, two other players that were on his team approached the group. Scott hadn't met them, but Alice knew them. She called out to them, and she introduced Scott and Shaana to them.

The first guy was a skinny ginger haired guy named Pete. He stuck out his hand, and Scott grasped it firmly, and shook it. "Nice to meet you." he said politely.

The other was a small asain girl named Lucy, who seemed rather shy. She commented on his on how cute his Pokemon. Clearly, Munnas were popular with females.

Then Alice invited him to meet up with another one of their friends at the park's restaurant before doing some of the more extreme activities. She acknowledged jokingly that eating before doing that probably wasn't the best idea, then invited him along.

"Well Shaana, what do you say?"

"Mun," the Munna said in agreement. She then took her place on top of Scott's shoulder, though not before taking a moment to glare at Alice, then she turned to the others and smiled cutely.

"It's settled then, we're in."

Last edited by Monster Guy; 13th April 2012 at 2:01 AM.

I look like someone else, but I'm just me.
With you standing by my side, I won't be lonely.
I look like someone else, but I'm just me!
My name is Mimikyu, don't call me spooky!

Whale Island - o5

Raine’s Wildlife Park

Pengyzu: With counter orders accounted for the skirmish quickly resumes, Meinfoo dashing down the outskirts of the pool at breakneck speed whilst Wingull nosedives from above. The mustelid is first on the attack, quickly ramming into Keiko with sending him splashing rearward like a beach ball. Rolling back onto his front, Keiko tries squirting off a Water Gun, the attack skimming past the monk’s shoulder for a weak chip against his health. Meanwhile, Kara was faring just as poorly against his avian opponent, the seagull swooping in for a Quick Attack of its own, the birds beak poking him in the chest. Kara tries swinging a Thunder Punch in return, but the agile foe easily nips out of the way with a corkscrew manoeuvre. Turning in midair, the bird sets its sights on the Wailmer calf, unfolding its Wings for another Attack. Scared of getting hurt, Keiko ignores his second round of orders and Bounces into the sky, evading damage and landing in the deep end splashing all the nearby youngsters. Whilst slightly dismayed, it was good knowing the Wailmer had a few more attacks up its sleeve. Back to Kara – he watches with a keen eye as Meinfoo heads towards him, wasting no time in getting his own back as he channels his Psychic energy through a twistedspoon. The telekinetic beat down sends the kung-fu rodent flying to the deep end of the pool, the water cushioning a huge blow. Whilst an early lead by the looks of it, your opponents were more skilled than your run-of-the-mill Pokémon and Keiko was having self-esteem issues. What will you do?

Son of Shadows: At a loss on how to put a stop to the electric menace you think it better to get help from one of the trained manta conductors. You approach a dark-haired girl in a black wetsuit on the sideline, the trainer nervously biting her lip in wake of the Stunfisk attack. “Don’t ask me, my supervisor is off today and I only know how to handle the manta! Please just do what ever you can to put a stop to that thing!” You watch as she rummages around for a first aid kit, scurrying toward the fake coastline to tend to the wounded teenager and close at hand Mantine, kind of embarrassed for her. But if Stunfisk was left with a free reign of the manta pool she’d have a lot more on her hands than two casualties. Not quite settled down yet, the ray smirks manically as it shoots off another Thunderbolt, the bolt of lightning hitting the wing of another sailing Mantine, knocking it out of flight and nose-diving into the water. By this point the youngsters were screaming and scrambling out of the shallow pool, but Stunfisk wasn’t really interested in hurting them. The dab submerges, taking snapping turtle with it like some reluctant hostage as it wriggles toward a school of Mantyke at snails pace. One of its eyes twitches as sparks fly up and down its body. The chances of saving the guppy rays were against you, but you had the element of surprise and a point-blank shot. What will you do?

Ampere Beach

Trainer Andy: With Sheldon struggling despite a solid type advantage, you can’t help wondering if you’d been slacking on his training. Then again, there was no way of telling that a beach vacation would set way for your first Pokémon battle. Scrunching your face in determination, you decide it’s about time to pull out the big guns. Sheldon snaps in agreement as he focuses on the blurry Corphish ahead, waiting for it to make a move. The crustacean springs onto the offense, pinching its claws to spray off another jet of Bubbles. With suds in his eyes Sheldon struggles to spot the attack, taking a few weak hits before propping up a Wide Guard in defence. The tail end of the foamy blast pops away against the translucent barrier, leaving Turtwig in good shape. The turtle squint ahead, still struggling to make out his foe as he fires off a flurry of Razors from his twinleaf.The shurikens hurtle in all directions, some of the spectators diving out of the way to avoid a nasty abrasion. The crab is too pig-headed to dodge however, the majority of the leaves beating away at his hard shell for a tonne of damage. Corphish scuttles waywardly back hanging on by the skin of his teeth and Hardening his body in defence. It’s too little to late though as Sheldon leaps in the air, spreading out his stubby legs and Slamming his Body into the crab. A few seconds pass as you wait for the crayfish to scuttle out from underneath the tortoise... Corphish was down for the count! Level Up for Sheldon A few of the youngsters cheer before scampering back to their sandcastles.

Read Below

Dark Searchman: You gaze decisively at the battle ahead - With his trunk charred and his palmy hairdo frazzled, you might just be able to take down this Exeggutor. But with Ralts bruised and trampled it’d be a tough one. Playing to your defence would get you nowhere fast, so you decide to tilt the odds in your favour with a Potion. The emotion Pokémon winces as you pull the trigger on the spray bottle, leaving a stinging sensation on his grazes. The medication quickly does its work on the small psychic who’s fresh in a matter of seconds, however time spent on the mend gives the giant tree a wide opening for its next barrage. The three coconuts gulp as they spit off another salvo of Seed Bombs, pelting the emotion Pokémon and chipping his health away in no time. The Ralts tumbles down the beach coughing up sand as he flops on his back. Having been caught off guard he hops to his feet and blows off a gust of Icy Wind. The tundra washes away against the Exeggutor, sending him closer to the brink but somewhat soothing his burns. The three heads scrunch up their faces in rage as they go for a last ditch attempt at clenching victory. Charging ahead, the Exeggutor manages to squash Ralts in another Stomp, this time completely submerged beneath the clubfoot. A few of the kids gasp in shock as it looks like it’s all over. Suddenly! The heads holler in pain as a Signal Beam pushes against the sole of its foot. The twofold effective attack makes quick work of the tree, sending it toppling against the sand with a low thud. Level Up for Ralts A few of the youngsters cheer before scampering off to their sandcastles.

Read Below

Trainer Andy and Dark Searchman: Whilst two fresh trainers had just finished their first Pokémon battle about a mile apart on the same stretch of amped coast, they were about to find their paths intertwine as a adolescent sailor donning a pair of shades approaches them separately. “Hey, I managed to catch most of that. You started off a little shaky but really pulled it in towards the end!” the chap jousts, “I’m one of the East Coast Ferry battle scouts. We’re looking for rookie trainers like you to take part in our sea expedition over Rainbow Reef. The ferry sets sail at Peili Harbour at 1o’clock sharp, so don’t be late!” The scout hands you a before waving farewell and heading up the boardwalk towards the set of docks. You check the time, the ferry was set to leave in just five minutes! You could head to Peili Harbour for what looked to be a once in a lifetime opportunity or continue exploring Ampere Beach, what will you do?

The Caverns

Celebii: The battle presses on and your type advantage was really taking its toll on the bat Pokémon who was slipping toward its final reaches of health already. Although Larry was looking quite fatigued from all the energy-intensive techniques, you decide to stay on the offense whilst your foe was winded and struggling to catch air. You shoot off another chain of orders, beads of sweat trickling down the monster’s metal hide as he scurries into action. Making use of his natural Digging abilities he starts pawing away at the rocky surface until he’s submerged. The Golbat gapes around the caverns in confusion, hoping it’d got off scot-free from his iron foe. The vampire bat’s sensitive ears prick up as he hears a rumble from below, Aron speeding upwards with a Head Smash. The tackle scrapes the bat on its underside, shrieking in pain as it flutters off the ground. The poison type decides to show what a tricky bugger he can be as he coughs up a Haze, the cave filling with white smoke and reducing your visibility to nil. Larry looks just as lost as he Charges down the cave in a burst of Flames, mistaking the bat for a stalagmite which he dim-wittedly rams into. The Golbat taunts its foe by smacking him with a Air Cutter, barely chipping away any health but enough to rile up the Aron. By the looks of your last hit the bat was teetering on the brink, but you had a few obstacles ahead if you wanted to take it out quickly. What will you do?

Kakatua Lagoon

Balmund: You’re quick into action as a thick of bubbles curdle violently on the greenish water’s surface, sceptical of what danger loomed ahead. Sothe and Orcharist are given belayed orders, the two shifting into stealth battle stances as you focus in on the commotion. Meanwhile the three hippies shiver with their heads buried in the small vessel – wishing they’d never gotten themselves worked up over the nautical folk law. The tension was building as the lake stood dead silent. Suddenly! The water rises into a large lump, breaking away quickly to reveal a huge green cranium, water dripping from the ends of its purple vines. The plant monster shrieks fiercely, sending the nearby wild Pokémon scampering for their lives. The crinoid was larger than your run-of-the-mill Cradily, its head about as big as a Wailmer and its tentacles stretching even further. The Pokémon quickly scans the lagoon with its bulb-like eyes, spotting the kayak packed with three tasty entrées. The creature’s head looms over the boat, shadowing the three travellers who were frozen in fear. In an incredible feat of strength, the sea monster extends its tentacles, binding the boat and hoisting it out of the water. He then douses his lunch with a Gastro Acid, the three travellers cringing as they’re basted from head to toe in digestive fluids. As the kayak is lifted slowly overhead the three hippies sheepishly clamber out, Lily and Chong discretely splashing into the pond with Moku plunging conspicuously in tow. The carnivorous plant isn’t quick to notice their escape, tightening its grip on the kayak until it splinters and cracks, churning it into its shadowy mouth and down its digestive tract.

“It’s a giant flower!” Lily awes with a hint of terror.
“I told you we shouldn’t have eaten those Foongus we found in the woods!” regrets Moku, rubbing his tight tummy.
“Please don’t hurt us flower!” Chong pleas, bowing down submissively at the Pokémon slinky neck.

Before the Cradily can even mull over an organic snack, your reptilian mercenaries spring into action. Orcharist twists and Coils her body as she stealthily submerges in the water whilst Sothe ruffles his bushy tail to let loose a wind of Sweet Scent. The pinkish aroma stinks its way across the lagoon, the three hippies easing out of their panic as they slip neck deep into the water. Cradily takes a whiff as the whole lagoon pauses still in silence... ATCHOO! The enormous sea monster grimaces, eyeing up the lizard who’d doused him with such an overwhelming perfume. In the blink of an eye one of the crinoid’s tentacles shoots off, lashing into Sothe at Astonishing speed. Sceptile yelps in pain as the trunk-wide whip lashes against his torso, struggling to keep his footing after being caught off guard. Sothe holds his ground, pressing his leaf-blade against his beak and using it as a Grasswhistle - the sharp tune piercing through the tense air. Cradily’s petals slump slightly, but this proves only to be a momentary lapse as it roars again sending the bird Pokémon flocking for miles - you imagine the attack had had as much effect as injecting a full-grown Gyarados with Ponyta tranquiliser. The same can’t be said for Orcharist however, who sinks out of consciousness courtesy of her ally’s melody. Not really seeing Sothe as much of a threat, the Cradily focuses back on its lunch, wrapping up Chong’s banjo in his feeler and reeling it into its mouth...

“My banjo!”

The Ghostly Galleon

UNowenwasme?: Evasive manoeuvres weren’t quite working out and if you kept it up it wouldn’t be long before they Gene was sunk. The pirates reload the barrel with gunpowder, bowling Voltorb into the nozzles and igniting the fuses. You decide the best way to protect yourself would be to take out the cannons one by one, and quickly hatch a scheme to achieve this. Gene Calms his Mind in an effort to boost his special capabilities, whilst the first barrage of cannons are set off! With a bang about half a dozen Voltorb fall from the sky with much greater precision than before – Gene having to swiftly improvise in light of the incoming carpet bombing. The machine quickly charges a Shadowy Ball between his claws, shooting it into the minefield. The inky blob hits one of the cannonballs head-on, causing it to explode on impact. With the Voltorb in such close proximity this triggers a chain reaction, a huge midair explosion pushing the two of you back whilst causing little damage to your vessel. Gene is quick to resume, launching another volley of Shadow Balls – some ripping through the black sails and the dark hull whilst most hit their mark causing the cannons to explode on themselves. Your hopes of making it out alive seem to rise after such a devastating return-fire, but this quickly slides away as a menacing figure limps to the side of the deck.

“Fire da motar! Blast ‘em down to Davey Jones' Locker!” The man had a long beard dyed a striking scarlet, his red locks tipped by a black captain’s hat sporting the same Duskull & Crossbone insignia. The pirate had undoubtedly faced a few sea monsters in his time, his scarred face sporting a black eye patch, his left hand a twisted hook and his right leg a wooden peg. Tipping off the menacing facade was a Chatot perched staunchly on his shoulder, announcing ‘DAVEY JONES’ LOCKER’ in a mimicking squawk. Frozen in fear and at a loss for a strategy, you watch as about four of the pirates lug what appears to be an Electrode into a bulky mortar. By the time you come to your senses it’s too late, a huge blast of smoke wisps from the empty barrel as the giant cannonball hurtles through the sky. Gene switches to evasive manoeuvres but the missile uses Magnet Rise to home into the Metang. You can only flinch as the giant explosive, well, Explodes.

BOOM!

Your weary eyes creep open, attempting to rub them is impossible – you were tied up against a wooden post. It had appeared you’d been knocked unconscious. That seemed to be happening a lot lately. You look around, quickly clocking on to the fact you’d been thrown in the dingy brig of the Ghostly Galleon and were being held captive. Gene was nowhere to be seen amongst the barrels of gunpowder and empty shackles although you could probably reach your other Pokéballs if you tried hard enough. You hear the boat creak against the waves, it must’ve set sail again and there was no telling where it was headed. Suddenly! You hear footsteps coming from upstairs and getting louder. What will you do?

Crater Lake

Itzatrap: The rescue plan all going smoothly, Numel was safe in-shore as the redhead pressed on its chest in hopes of resuscitating it. Water suddenly squirts out of the calf’s throat, “Torkoal, this little fella’s cold. I need you to help out with a Heat Wave!” Torkoal nods as the adolescent puts the camel down, its stubby legs spreading on the ash-strewn terra. Torkoal fires up his furnace on queue, black smoke puffing from every orifice before he spews out a flurry of hot air which washes down on the small Pokémon. You feel some comfort knowing it was probably going to make it, but there was still trouble ahead as you’d managed to pick a fight with a hungry Carvanha. Deciding to substitute Olli from the fight, you switch to a better typed operative – Shell barks as he switches into a battle stance. On command the Squirtle rushes to the bank of the deep crater, making his claw into a fist as he socks the piranha with a Rock Smash. The attack sure does a number on the fish, loosening its jaw slightly whilst also knocking Chimchar off balance – the ape angrily snapping at his ally for not aiming better. With Carvanha looking lose Squirtle goes in for the strike, bounding into the air and tucking into his shell for a Tackle. The turtle butts into the foe’s tailfin, finally knocking it loose and into the pool. However Shell can’t slow down, and goes hurtling right in tow! With a mighty splash, the two nose-dive into the hot spring which quickly becomes a makeshift arena. With Squirtle regaining his buoyancy the agile Carvanha goes in for the jugular with its Crunch, sinking its teeth into the turtle’s tough skin for a solid hit. Squirtle quickly separates from the piranha with another Rock Smash. Carvanha yelps in pain as it narrowly swims backwards, eventually u-turning and tackling the turtle with a Take Down. Squirtle bowls further down the lake as the Carvanha takes some recoil. Looks like the fight is on, what will you do?

Son of Shadows: At a loss on how to put a stop to the electric menace you think it better to get help from one of the trained manta conductors. You approach a dark-haired girl in a black wetsuit on the sideline, the trainer nervously biting her lip in wake of the Stunfisk attack. “Don’t ask me, my supervisor is off today and I only know how to handle the manta! Please just do what ever you can to put a stop to that thing!” You watch as she rummages around for a first aid kit, scurrying toward the fake coastline to tend to the wounded teenager and close at hand Mantine, kind of embarrassed for her. But if Stunfisk was left with a free reign of the manta pool she’d have a lot more on her hands than two casualties. Not quite settled down yet, the ray smirks manically as it shoots off another Thunderbolt, the bolt of lightning hitting the wing of another sailing Mantine, knocking it out of flight and nose-diving into the water. By this point the youngsters were screaming and scrambling out of the shallow pool, but Stunfisk wasn’t really interested in hurting them. The dab submerges, taking snapping turtle with it like some reluctant hostage as it wriggles toward a school of Mantyke at snails pace. One of its eyes twitches as sparks fly up and down its body. The chances of saving the guppy rays were against you, but you had the element of surprise and a point-blank shot. What will you do?

Joshua growled. The trainer was useless, and the Pokémon trainer wasn't much better. Things were looking bad for Aegis, the Stunfisk, and all the Mantyke... There was only one option left. "Aegis!" he called out, "We fight! Time to use your Water Gun attack - at close range, you should be able to do extra damage, and follow up with a Bubble to slow it down! Hold on as tight as you can!" I've got to protect those Mantyke... Don't they have Pokéballs around here? At least all the kids had gotten out of the water. This probably wouldn't end well, but the Mantyke needed to be protected... He still had an empty Pokéball in his hand, perhaps capturing Stunfisk would be his only option. He began aiming his Pokéball, in case Aegis managed to heavily damage Stunfisk... And if it was his only shot.

Originally Posted by scytherdude30
no no no you need an empoleon as your powerhouse da listen to me man I AM THE BOMB

Originally Posted by Zincspider

Yes, someone is getting 'killed'... HOORAY FOR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!....

Trainer Andy: With Sheldon struggling despite a solid type advantage, you can’t help wondering if you’d been slacking on his training. Then again, there was no way of telling that a beach vacation would set way for your first Pokémon battle. Scrunching your face in determination, you decide it’s about time to pull out the big guns. Sheldon snaps in agreement as he focuses on the blurry Corphish ahead, waiting for it to make a move. The crustacean springs onto the offense, pinching its claws to spray off another jet of Bubbles. With suds in his eyes Sheldon struggles to spot the attack, taking a few weak hits before propping up a Wide Guard in defence. The tail end of the foamy blast pops away against the translucent barrier, leaving Turtwig in good shape. The turtle squint ahead, still struggling to make out his foe as he fires off a flurry of Razors from his twinleaf.The shurikens hurtle in all directions, some of the spectators diving out of the way to avoid a nasty abrasion. The crab is too pig-headed to dodge however, the majority of the leaves beating away at his hard shell for a tonne of damage. Corphish scuttles waywardly back hanging on by the skin of his teeth and Hardening his body in defence. It’s too little to late though as Sheldon leaps in the air, spreading out his stubby legs and Slamming his Body into the crab. A few seconds pass as you wait for the crayfish to scuttle out from underneath the tortoise... Corphish was down for the count! Level Up for Sheldon A few of the youngsters cheer before scampering back to their sandcastles.

Trainer Andy and Dark Searchman: Whilst two fresh trainers had just finished their first Pokémon battle about a mile apart on the same stretch of amped coast, they were about to find their paths intertwine as a adolescent sailor donning a pair of shades approaches them separately. “Hey, I managed to catch most of that. You started off a little shaky but really pulled it in towards the end!” the chap jousts, “I’m one of the East Coast Ferry battle scouts. We’re looking for rookie trainers like you to take part in our sea expedition over Rainbow Reef. The ferry sets sail at Peili Harbour at 1o’clock sharp, so don’t be late!” The scout hands you a before waving farewell and heading up the boardwalk towards the set of docks. You check the time, the ferry was set to leave in just five minutes! You could head to Peili Harbour for what looked to be a once in a lifetime opportunity or continue exploring Ampere Beach, what will you do?

Watching as Sheldon landed the decisive blow on his opponent, Andy felt himself sag in relief. He hadn't realised how tense this battle had made him, and as Sheldon scampered back for his praise Andy was looking forward to getting back into relaxing on the beach.

As the crowd that had surrounded him cleared, Andy heard another cheer not to far away. Looking in its direction Andy saw what appeared to be a plam tree with a face toppling to the ground, another Trainer standing close by next to a small, white and green, rather dishevelled looking Pokemon.

"Looks like we're not the only ones who had a tough time here." Andy said, looking at Sheldon. The Turtwig nodded wearily, still a little out of breath. "Tur..." it agreed.

Looking back onto the beach Andy walked over to the fainted Corphish that lay in the sand. "You were a tough little bugger," he said to his downed foe. Now the battle was over, and the heat of the moment had passed, Andy felt a twinge of sympathy. Sure, that pinch on the behind wasn't welcomed but he remembered reading some time a go that Corphish were territorial Pokemon, and Andy had obviously just gotten himself in the wrong place at the wrong him. As he sat there an idea came over him.

Rushing to his backpack, Andy rummaged through, looking for his spare Pokeballs. Finally locating one, Andy was about to head back to the Corphish when a voice interrupted him.

“Hey, I managed to catch most of that. You started off a little shaky but really pulled it in towards the end!”
Andy looked around to see a stranger approaching him. His apparel gave him the look of a sailor, apart from a pair of sunglasses.
“I’m one of the East Coast Ferry battle scouts." The man introduced himself. Reaching into his pocket, the stranger pulled out what seemed to be a scrap of paper and handed it to Andy. Looking at it closely, Andy realised it was a ferry ticket. "We’re looking for rookie trainers like you to take part in our sea expedition over Rainbow Reef," he explained, "The ferry sets sail at Peili Harbour at 1o’clock sharp, so don’t be late!”
With that the man turned and walked away, waving behind him as he did so.
As he waved, Andy caught a glimpse of the man's watch and gasped. Had that man said 1 o'clock? That was in 5 minutes!

"Dammit, I'd better hurry!" Said Andy loudly, to himself. "This sounds way too good to miss."
Running to collect his stuff, he bundled it up in his arms before remembering he was still holding an empty Pokeball. Now he'd gotten himself in a dilemma, did he have time? Looking in the direction that the man had walked away in, then back at the beach Andy sighed and slung his backpack onto his back.

"Looks like you're still causing trouble even when you've fainted..."

Bracing himself to begin running towards Peili Harbour at a moments notice, Andy threw the Pokeball (1 of 5) towards the Corphish. He felt as though his breath had caught in his throat as the ball soared through the air. Silently he watched, and hoped.

Pengyzu: With counter orders accounted for the skirmish quickly resumes, Meinfoo dashing down the outskirts of the pool at breakneck speed whilst Wingull nosedives from above. The mustelid is first on the attack, quickly ramming into Keiko with sending him splashing rearward like a beach ball. Rolling back onto his front, Keiko tries squirting off a Water Gun, the attack skimming past the monk’s shoulder for a weak chip against his health. Meanwhile, Kara was faring just as poorly against his avian opponent, the seagull swooping in for a Quick Attack of its own, the birds beak poking him in the chest. Kara tries swinging a Thunder Punch in return, but the agile foe easily nips out of the way with a corkscrew manoeuvre. Turning in midair, the bird sets its sights on the Wailmer calf, unfolding its Wings for another Attack. Scared of getting hurt, Keiko ignores his second round of orders and Bounces into the sky, evading damage and landing in the deep end splashing all the nearby youngsters. Whilst slightly dismayed, it was good knowing the Wailmer had a few more attacks up its sleeve. Back to Kara – he watches with a keen eye as Meinfoo heads towards him, wasting no time in getting his own back as he channels his Psychic energy through a twistedspoon. The telekinetic beat down sends the kung-fu rodent flying to the deep end of the pool, the water cushioning a huge blow. Whilst an early lead by the looks of it, your opponents were more skilled than your run-of-the-mill Pokémon and Keiko was having self-esteem issues. What will you do?

Rey confidently orders his Pokemon what seems to be a perfect counter to each move. Ralts is more than ready to try out his new moves, whilst Keiko is having trouble focusing. The sun was beating down on the wet field, with wind cooling people off a bit. The enemy Pokemon lunge at the two with much speed. This hits the Wailmer nicely and pushes him back a bit. He spits a jet of pressurized water at the offender but misses, only scraping the side of the Mienfoo by a bit. Meanwhile, Ralts charges up some cackling electricity into his fists and prepares to strike the foe as he closes in. The bird gets hit by a part of the attack but easily makes a hit without damage.

Their trainer was speechless... only managing to form a frown. "What am I going to do? My Pokemon are losing... because of me... I'm such a ditz. I'm so stupid and dumb. I can't do anything right!" he thought to himself. "Kara, Keiko, hang in there! I'll do my best to turn the battle for you, I promise. Please... just... trust in me."

Kara looks at his trainer, feeling concern over his well being. Keiko on the other hand, is having self-esteem issues. Wingull closes in for a Wing Attack but Keiko is too afraid to follow through with his orders. He bounces up into the air and dodges the attack, and falls to the pool again, causing a splash.

"Oh... so you know Bounce afterall... Let's see-"

Mienfoo makes its way toward Kara to pound him once more. Kara has other plans, and channels his Psychic energy into the spoon. This energy is expelled at the Mienfoo and blasts him away, only to be cushioned by the water itself.

"Well... the odds are against us here. It's your first battle Ralts... I understand. Even the environment is against us... hmmm... Oh yeah! Keiko! You can do it, buddy! You are THE son of the mighty Shamu! You WILL become a star! Believe in yourself! I want you to listen to me and focus... I want you to use Bounce again and try to strike the Wingull, drowning it in the water. Kara, while he's bouncing, I want you to use Flash to daze the enemy. Confusion on the Mienfoo. Keiko, Body Slam on the Wingull if it's underneath you, if not Water Gun!"

Trainer Andy: With Sheldon struggling despite a solid type advantage, you can’t help wondering if you’d been slacking on his training. Then again, there was no way of telling that a beach vacation would set way for your first Pokémon battle. Scrunching your face in determination, you decide it’s about time to pull out the big guns. Sheldon snaps in agreement as he focuses on the blurry Corphish ahead, waiting for it to make a move. The crustacean springs onto the offense, pinching its claws to spray off another jet of Bubbles. With suds in his eyes Sheldon struggles to spot the attack, taking a few weak hits before propping up a Wide Guard in defence. The tail end of the foamy blast pops away against the translucent barrier, leaving Turtwig in good shape. The turtle squint ahead, still struggling to make out his foe as he fires off a flurry of Razors from his twinleaf.The shurikens hurtle in all directions, some of the spectators diving out of the way to avoid a nasty abrasion. The crab is too pig-headed to dodge however, the majority of the leaves beating away at his hard shell for a tonne of damage. Corphish scuttles waywardly back hanging on by the skin of his teeth and Hardening his body in defence. It’s too little to late though as Sheldon leaps in the air, spreading out his stubby legs and Slamming his Body into the crab. A few seconds pass as you wait for the crayfish to scuttle out from underneath the tortoise... Corphish was down for the count! Level Up for SheldonA few of the youngsters cheer before scampering back to their sandcastles.

Read Below

Dark Searchman: You gaze decisively at the battle ahead - With his trunk charred and his palmy hairdo frazzled, you might just be able to take down this Exeggutor. But with Ralts bruised and trampled it’d be a tough one. Playing to your defence would get you nowhere fast, so you decide to tilt the odds in your favour with a Potion. The emotion Pokémon winces as you pull the trigger on the spray bottle, leaving a stinging sensation on his grazes. The medication quickly does its work on the small psychic who’s fresh in a matter of seconds, however time spent on the mend gives the giant tree a wide opening for its next barrage. The three coconuts gulp as they spit off another salvo of Seed Bombs, pelting the emotion Pokémon and chipping his health away in no time. The Ralts tumbles down the beach coughing up sand as he flops on his back. Having been caught off guard he hops to his feet and blows off a gust of Icy Wind. The tundra washes away against the Exeggutor, sending him closer to the brink but somewhat soothing his burns. The three heads scrunch up their faces in rage as they go for a last ditch attempt at clenching victory. Charging ahead, the Exeggutor manages to squash Ralts in another Stomp, this time completely submerged beneath the clubfoot. A few of the kids gasp in shock as it looks like it’s all over. Suddenly! The heads holler in pain as a Signal Beam pushes against the sole of its foot. The twofold effective attack makes quick work of the tree, sending it toppling against the sand with a low thud. Level Up for RaltsA few of the youngsters cheer before scampering off to their sandcastles.

Read Below

Trainer Andy and Dark Searchman: Whilst two fresh trainers had just finished their first Pokémon battle about a mile apart on the same stretch of amped coast, they were about to find their paths intertwine as a adolescent sailor donning a pair of shades approaches them separately. “Hey, I managed to catch most of that. You started off a little shaky but really pulled it in towards the end!” the chap jousts, “I’m one of the East Coast Ferry battle scouts. We’re looking for rookie trainers like you to take part in our sea expedition over Rainbow Reef. The ferry sets sail at Peili Harbour at 1o’clock sharp, so don’t be late!” The scout hands you a before waving farewell and heading up the boardwalk towards the set of docks. You check the time, the ferry was set to leave in just five minutes! You could head to Peili Harbour for what looked to be a once in a lifetime opportunity or continue exploring Ampere Beach, what will you do?

{Yosha! Thanks a lot! Nice for both of us, really, this is going to be awesome! And more similarities underlined, we really were in the same area. lol}

Hyrem could feel flashes of different colors as Ralts felt the stinging sensation of the Potion. Seconds after, however, she felt renewed as she said, "Ralts!" and transmitted an orange color to her trainer's mind. This only lasted for that long, however, as she was pelted by more Egg Bombs. She responded with a breath of fresh air, so to speak, as the minty, Icy Wind blew against the three-headed palm tree, soothing its burns but also bringing it closer to defeat. Exeggutor planned on finishing Ralts with its preferred method of dealing with such pests: Stomping it into the ground and burying it deep under its foot until the opponent gave in to its crushing weight. Indeed, it did look very bleak for the Feeling Pokemon as Hyrem cried out, "Ralts! ...Please be OK..." as he crossed his fingers.

...Now, you'd think Exeggutor would've learned its lesson from the last time it Stomped Ralts and nearly got its foot Incinerated away, but I guess it just wanted to get the battle over and done with, none of its three heads really thinking about any possible consequences that could come from it. Fortunately for Hyrem, that would cost the Walking Jungle the battle. A spectacular light show came from under Exeggutor's foot. "EXEEEE!" the three heads hollered as it was pushed up and tipped over by the one attack in Ralts' current arsenal that would deal the most damage to it: Signal Beam. It landed on the sand with a "Gu!", followed by a weak "Torrrrr...", the swirly eyes depicting it was successfully Knocked Out.

As the spectators cheered, Hyrem felt a wave of relief come over him. "We did it..." he said as he fell to his knees with a smile, finally able to relax from the turmoil. A light blue indicated in his mind that Ralts could feel at ease as well. "That was more trouble than it was worth," he said with a sigh. Of course, being as relaxed as he was, he didn't notice someone approaching until they spoke:

“Hey, I managed to catch most of that. You started off a little shaky but really pulled it in towards the end!” He turned around to find a teen, maybe a couple of years older than him, in a sailor's uniform and sporting some nice sunglasses. “I’m one of the East Coast Ferry battle scouts," he continued. "We’re looking for rookie trainers like you to take part in our sea expedition over Rainbow Reef. The ferry sets sail at Pieli Harbour at 1o’clock sharp, so don’t be late!”

"Wow, thanks!" said Hyrem as he was given an SS Ticket for the ferry. The sailor left as soon as he came, and Hyrem could see another trainer with what looked like two more Pokemon, one of them on top of the other. Apparently he wasn't the only one with a little excitement today. He focused back on the ticket and became excited for the opportunity. "Well, change in plans then! We did come here for Seedot, but this is too good to pass up! Right, Ralts?"

"Ralts!" she replied cheerfully, albeit a little exhausted from the battle.

Then he looked at his watch. "12:55!? We've only got five minutes!" He quickly grabbed Ralts' Pokeball from his belt. "Ralts, return, you can rest for now!" As Ralts disappeared into her Pokeball with a flash of red light, he instinctively looked to where the other trainer was. The trainer threw a Pokeball at the crustacean-looking Pokemon, and Hyrem watched with a little interest as he began a mad dash to Pieli Harbor and the ferry soon to depart. Perhaps this older-looking trainer was invited too. If so, hopefully his capturing that Pokemon wouldn't slow him down too much.

Balmund: You’re quick into action as a thick of bubbles curdle violently on the greenish water’s surface, sceptical of what danger loomed ahead. Sothe and Orcharist are given belayed orders, the two shifting into stealth battle stances as you focus in on the commotion. Meanwhile the three hippies shiver with their heads buried in the small vessel – wishing they’d never gotten themselves worked up over the nautical folk law. The tension was building as the lake stood dead silent. Suddenly! The water rises into a large lump, breaking away quickly to reveal a huge green cranium, water dripping from the ends of its purple vines. The plant monster shrieks fiercely, sending the nearby wild Pokémon scampering for their lives. The crinoid was larger than your run-of-the-mill Cradily, its head about as big as a Wailmer and its tentacles stretching even further. The Pokémon quickly scans the lagoon with its bulb-like eyes, spotting the kayak packed with three tasty entrées. The creature’s head looms over the boat, shadowing the three travellers who were frozen in fear. In an incredible feat of strength, the sea monster extends its tentacles, binding the boat and hoisting it out of the water. He then douses his lunch with a Gastro Acid, the three travellers cringing as they’re basted from head to toe in digestive fluids. As the kayak is lifted slowly overhead the three hippies sheepishly clamber out, Lily and Chong discretely splashing into the pond with Moku plunging conspicuously in tow. The carnivorous plant isn’t quick to notice their escape, tightening its grip on the kayak until it splinters and cracks, churning it into its shadowy mouth and down its digestive tract.

“It’s a giant flower!” Lily awes with a hint of terror.
“I told you we shouldn’t have eaten those Foongus we found in the woods!” regrets Moku, rubbing his tight tummy.
“Please don’t hurt us flower!” Chong pleas, bowing down submissively at the Pokémon slinky neck.

Before the Cradily can even mull over an organic snack, your reptilian mercenaries spring into action. Orcharist twists and Coils her body as she stealthily submerges in the water whilst Sothe ruffles his bushy tail to let loose a wind of Sweet Scent. The pinkish aroma stinks its way across the lagoon, the three hippies easing out of their panic as they slip neck deep into the water. Cradily takes a whiff as the whole lagoon pauses still in silence... ATCHOO! The enormous sea monster grimaces, eyeing up the lizard who’d doused him with such an overwhelming perfume. In the blink of an eye one of the crinoid’s tentacles shoots off, lashing into Sothe at Astonishing speed. Sceptile yelps in pain as the trunk-wide whip lashes against his torso, struggling to keep his footing after being caught off guard. Sothe holds his ground, pressing his leaf-blade against his beak and using it as a Grasswhistle - the sharp tune piercing through the tense air. Cradily’s petals slump slightly, but this proves only to be a momentary lapse as it roars again sending the bird Pokémon flocking for miles - you imagine the attack had had as much effect as injecting a full-grown Gyarados with Ponyta tranquiliser. The same can’t be said for Orcharist however, who sinks out of consciousness courtesy of her ally’s melody. Not really seeing Sothe as much of a threat, the Cradily focuses back on its lunch, wrapping up Chong’s banjo in his feeler and reeling it into its mouth...

“My banjo!”

Balmund's jaw nearly dropped to the ground at the sight of the gargantuan monster that came out of the lagoon. He had read about and even seen a revived Cradily once before, but to see such a creature off gigantic proportions, and a wild to boot. It would have never crossed his mind. It clearly posed an immediate threat as it quickly got hold of the kayak and its passengers, dousing them with its Gastro Acid, a horrifying experience. Luckily enough, they manage to jump out of it before they are ingested, and Balmund only hoped the water had washed away most of the acidic residue off of their skin.

Chris and Sothe soon take action as Chris Coiled underwater, perparing to strike whereas Sothe lets out his Sweet Scent, achieving the desired effect of tanquilizing the hippies, but earning an Astonishing whip-lash from the monster in retribution. He insists on further calming it down however, as he starts blowing a Grasswhistle from one of his leaf blades, but the ancient plant Pokémon was far too immersed into its frenzy to be soothed by something like that. The same could not be said of the rest however, Balmund himself already feeling drowsy and exhausted even though he had covered his ears, and Chris somehow losing concentration and lulling herself to sleep underwater.

'I can't believe this is happening to me,' Balmund thought. Ideally he would've thought of a way to just run away, but he wouldn't feel okay leaving the trio to their own fates. What was left to do would be force the Cradily to turn around and leave, fighting back fiercely to convince the creature that such a fiesty meal wasn't worth the effort, or, in the worst case scenario, kill the threat somehow.

"Sothe! I need you to have it turn it's attention to you. Fire a barrage of Seed Bombs, then close in and let it rip with your Fury Cutter!" He commanded his Sceptile as he thrusted himself towards his unconscious Seviper, Awakening [1/1] in hand so as to bring her back into action. Once she did, he would command her to support her partner by attempting to cripple the Cradily, injecting it with her Toxic coctail before further capitalizing on it with her Venoshock. It was time to go all out in what was a life or death situation. Questions can always be asked later.

Last edited by Balmund; 15th April 2012 at 10:38 PM.
Reason: One move too many. Leaving second move on Seviper as I have to jet. If it's still to much I'll edit that last one away later.

Celebii: The battle presses on and your type advantage was really taking its toll on the bat Pokémon who was slipping toward its final reaches of health already. Although Larry was looking quite fatigued from all the energy-intensive techniques, you decide to stay on the offense whilst your foe was winded and struggling to catch air. You shoot off another chain of orders, beads of sweat trickling down the monster’s metal hide as he scurries into action. Making use of his natural Digging abilities he starts pawing away at the rocky surface until he’s submerged. The Golbat gapes around the caverns in confusion, hoping it’d got off scot-free from his iron foe. The vampire bat’s sensitive ears prick up as he hears a rumble from below, Aron speeding upwards with a Head Smash. The tackle scrapes the bat on its underside, shrieking in pain as it flutters off the ground. The poison type decides to show what a tricky bugger he can be as he coughs up a Haze, the cave filling with white smoke and reducing your visibility to nil. Larry looks just as lost as he Charges down the cave in a burst of Flames, mistaking the bat for a stalagmite which he dim-wittedly rams into. The Golbat taunts its foe by smacking him with a Air Cutter, barely chipping away any health but enough to rile up the Aron. By the looks of your last hit the bat was teetering on the brink, but you had a few obstacles ahead if you wanted to take it out quickly. What will you do?

The fight continued, and Larry scored another successful Head Smash on the Bat Pokemon. He could hear the Golbat fly through the air as it crashed onto the cold, hard floor once more. However, it wasn't ready to go down just yet as it opens its mouth wide and fills the cave with a thick Haze, rendering Larry's ability to see in the dark nearly useless as his Flame Charge hits a nearby stalagmite. Cele coughs slightly as the Haze reaches his delicate lungs. Golbat then fires another Air Cutter at Larry, doing almost nothing, by the looks of it.

"Excellent work once again, Larry." Cele stated as he heard the Golbat screech loudly in pain. "But the fight isn't over yet. This Golbat is really filled with tricks and they're getting on my nerves. What say we end the fight now Larry? Hopefully the flock with fly away once we dispatch of this Golbat." Cele thinks to himself. "Let's finish this, Larry!" Try and blow that Haze away with another Swords Dance, then Flame Charge once again!" Larry nodded, though Cele couldn't see it.

Grabbing a Pokeball from his belt, he enlarged it by pressing the center button, then tossed it forward. The red and white sphere burst open in the air, revealing the Pokem kept inside in a flash of white light. A Spoink happily bounced about, before panicking at its lack of vision. "Boing, I need you to light this cave up with Flash, while Larry fights this Golbat, okay?" Boing jumped in acknowledgedment before his pearl began to glow...

A tourist magnet, Whale Island is a large region of land that was formed from volcanic activity a millennia ago. There is a strange abundance of electrical energy present on this island which, rather than posing a problem, has complemented the island entirely. The entire area is a haven for water Pokémon with even the mountain craters filled to the brim, the abundance of water sports and holiday travel locations ensuring the time you spend here is never dull. Cities and townships are located all across the island, with resorts, inns, and travel lodges in ample supply. The Hydra River is the main waterway, starting up in the north-west area of the island and down through the Central Plains where the great Hydro-Electric Dam has been constructed, before leading down to the south-eastern corner of the island and back out to sea. Whether it's action water sports you're after, or just lazing on a nice stretch of beach somewhere, you'll definitely find the place you're looking for on the famous Whale Island.

East Coast

By far the most popular tourist destination spot, the East Coast of Whale Island seems to be constantly abuzz with activity both day and night. Unfortunately the downside to this is the crime rate has risen so be sure to keep an eye out for the con artists and thieves who are looking to swindle unsuspecting travellers out of their holiday spending money. Despite this downside the east coast is a great place to holiday, especially if you're looking to make the most of daytime and night time entertainment.

Areas:Pieli Harbour: Both a large harbour and resort, Pieli Harbour is famous for the best ice cream in the land, as well as its massive shipping stations, with boats as small as canoes to colossal ferries. The resort itself is archetypical of a seaside funfair, with several small rides as well as a roller coaster and ferris wheel, though the promenade at night is a sight for sore eyes to drown their sorrows on.

"Finally, warm weather and pleasant sights." said Levin to nobody in particular, as he disembarked.

His last trip hadn't been particularly memorable, having ended up lost in a massive hailstorm while training in the Glaciers. Boy, was Minccino pissed. The only positive aspect that could be salvaged among the trainwreck of a first step that was his journey to the Arctic Zone was the Egg he had been given by a particularly generous merchant when Easter rolled around.

It had just hatched a few days ago, revealing a very playful male Gible, with a habit of nibbling anything it grew affectionate for. Good thing too, since Min was in need of another friend other than Levin himself - and since they were on non-speaking terms, she could use the distraction. Though, maybe the whole biting deal could be a problem, what with her lady-like manners and short fuse for anything less than polite.

And then there was Elekid - a notably brave hatchling, born on the same day as Gible, whose previous owner had left in a nearby Adoption Center. Feeling sorry for the poor thing, and realizing his party could use a more no-nonsense element, Levin decided to make the investment and take the Electric Pokemon with him. Neither Elekid nor Gible had been given an opportunity to fight yet, but Levin knew it'd be a matter of time, and he'd carve them into powerful allies soon. He did know everything there was to know about Pokemon, after all.

Smiling in self-satisfaction, he looked around the docks. The place was bustling with activity, and with the warmer weather, people had begun dressing accordingly. Yup, the sights were definitely enjoyable.

"Well, let's get some ice-cream. I can plan my next move after I enjoy myself a little."

UNowenwasme?: Evasive manoeuvres weren’t quite working out and if you kept it up it wouldn’t be long before they Gene was sunk. The pirates reload the barrel with gunpowder, bowling Voltorb into the nozzles and igniting the fuses. You decide the best way to protect yourself would be to take out the cannons one by one, and quickly hatch a scheme to achieve this. Gene Calms his Mind in an effort to boost his special capabilities, whilst the first barrage of cannons are set off! With a bang about half a dozen Voltorb fall from the sky with much greater precision than before – Gene having to swiftly improvise in light of the incoming carpet bombing. The machine quickly charges a Shadowy Ball between his claws, shooting it into the minefield. The inky blob hits one of the cannonballs head-on, causing it to explode on impact. With the Voltorb in such close proximity this triggers a chain reaction, a huge midair explosion pushing the two of you back whilst causing little damage to your vessel. Gene is quick to resume, launching another volley of Shadow Balls – some ripping through the black sails and the dark hull whilst most hit their mark causing the cannons to explode on themselves. Your hopes of making it out alive seem to rise after such a devastating return-fire, but this quickly slides away as a menacing figure limps to the side of the deck.

“Fire da motar! Blast ‘em down to Davey Jones' Locker!” The man had a long beard dyed a striking scarlet, his red locks tipped by a black captain’s hat sporting the same Duskull & Crossbone insignia. The pirate had undoubtedly faced a few sea monsters in his time, his scarred face sporting a black eye patch, his left hand a twisted hook and his right leg a wooden peg. Tipping off the menacing facade was a Chatot perched staunchly on his shoulder, announcing ‘DAVEY JONES’ LOCKER’ in a mimicking squawk. Frozen in fear and at a loss for a strategy, you watch as about four of the pirates lug what appears to be an Electrode into a bulky mortar. By the time you come to your senses it’s too late, a huge blast of smoke wisps from the empty barrel as the giant cannonball hurtles through the sky. Gene switches to evasive manoeuvres but the missile uses Magnet Rise to home into the Metang. You can only flinch as the giant explosive, well, Explodes.

BOOM!

Your weary eyes creep open, attempting to rub them is impossible – you were tied up against a wooden post. It had appeared you’d been knocked unconscious. That seemed to be happening a lot lately. You look around, quickly clocking on to the fact you’d been thrown in the dingy brig of the Ghostly Galleon and were being held captive. Gene was nowhere to be seen amongst the barrels of gunpowder and empty shackles although you could probably reach your other Pokéballs if you tried hard enough. You hear the boat creak against the waves, it must’ve set sail again and there was no telling where it was headed. Suddenly! You hear footsteps coming from upstairs and getting louder. What will you do?

The cannonballs had fired off earlier than Jayce had expected. Gene however, improvised and fired off a Shadow Ball at the onslaught of Voltorbs. It landed a hit on one which caused it to explode and because they were very close to each other, the other Voltorbs exploded as well before they could make it to the duo. The resulting huge explosion sent the two flying back, but it wasn't as bad as before, as the explosion didn't actually reach them. Jayce grinned knowing that this was their opening. "Go Gene now!" Gene was ready and charged up another bunch of Shadow Balls firing as many as possible at the cannons. A few went off course but most of them flew at the cannons causing them to explode. "We just may live to see another day..." Gene however noting how many of it's shots went off course, made a note to practice it's aim. Even in a rush it was disappointing to it that those few lost their marks.

Then someone limped to the side of the deck. He yelled out, "Fire da motar! Blast ‘em down to Davey Jones' Locker!" The man's beard was a sinister scarlet and his captain's hat bore the insignia of the ship. His face was covered in scars and a black eye patch covered one of his eyes. He had a hook in place of his left hand and a wooden peg leg in place of his right leg. A Chatot on his shoulder completed the ensemble and repeated the words of the pirate. It was the walking cliche of a pirate and might have been laughable if he wasn't so intimidating. His face, covered in scars showed his experience and his one eye pierced Jayce's eyes. He was afraid. This man didn't seem like any of the other pirates. Gene was waiting for a response from Jayce to attack, or do something. Jayce was too scared. He was frozen in fear, tightly gripping the horn of Metang's head. He saw a few of the pirates load an electrode into a huge mortar. *C'mon move! Move! Say something! We have to Move!* Jayce snapped out of his fear but the giant cannonball had already been fired. "Move Gene Now!" Gene was happy to oblige and attempted to evade the Electrode, but it locked onto Gene with Magnet Rise. Jayce saw it. He braced himself...

He opened his eyes with effort. He made a move to rub them but noticed he couldn't. He was tied to a wooden pole. He attempted to loose himself but couldn't get free. He then realized he must have been knocked out by the explosion. Twice in one day is a bit much... Either way he looked around and noticed barrels of gunpowder and empty shackles. The only place he would make sense to be would be the brig of the Ghostly Galleon. He heard a creak against the waves which meant they were moving. Where to, he had no idea. Gene wasn't around but he still had his Pokeballs on him luckily. He reached and reached and managed to hit the button for Snivy's Pokeball. Snivy popped out in a white flash and looked at Jayce. "Snivy sni?" Jayce sighed, "I'll try and be as quick as possible. We're aboard the Ghostly Galleon and Gene is MIA. We've got to get out of here and find him." As the words cam out of his mouth they sounded odd. Snivy was giving him an odd look too. "Snivy what is it?" Snivy pointed towards the left side of Jayce's head. Jayce wondered for a second then reallized now what sounded weird about all the noises. He rubbed his left ear against his shoulder and saw some dried blood wipe off. The explosion must have been closer to his left ear. Who knows if that could even be fixed? Then he heard footsteps coming from upstairs. And they were getting louder! He whispered to Snivy "Alright Snivy now hurry and get me loose. Try Vine Whip and Magical Leaf. We may have some battles on our hands soon." Snivy grinned. Battling was one of his favourite things to do. It looked like his pirate troubles were just beginning.

Itzatrap: The rescue plan all going smoothly, Numel was safe in-shore as the redhead pressed on its chest in hopes of resuscitating it. Water suddenly squirts out of the calf’s throat, “Torkoal, this little fella’s cold. I need you to help out with a Heat Wave!” Torkoal nods as the adolescent puts the camel down, its stubby legs spreading on the ash-strewn terra. Torkoal fires up his furnace on queue, black smoke puffing from every orifice before he spews out a flurry of hot air which washes down on the small Pokémon. You feel some comfort knowing it was probably going to make it, but there was still trouble ahead as you’d managed to pick a fight with a hungry Carvanha. Deciding to substitute Olli from the fight, you switch to a better typed operative – Shell barks as he switches into a battle stance. On command the Squirtle rushes to the bank of the deep crater, making his claw into a fist as he socks the piranha with a Rock Smash. The attack sure does a number on the fish, loosening its jaw slightly whilst also knocking Chimchar off balance – the ape angrily snapping at his ally for not aiming better. With Carvanha looking lose Squirtle goes in for the strike, bounding into the air and tucking into his shell for a Tackle. The turtle butts into the foe’s tailfin, finally knocking it loose and into the pool. However Shell can’t slow down, and goes hurtling right in tow! With a mighty splash, the two nose-dive into the hot spring which quickly becomes a makeshift arena. With Squirtle regaining his buoyancy the agile Carvanha goes in for the jugular with its Crunch, sinking its teeth into the turtle’s tough skin for a solid hit. Squirtle quickly separates from the piranha with another Rock Smash. Carvanha yelps in pain as it narrowly swims backwards, eventually u-turning and tackling the turtle with a Take Down. Squirtle bowls further down the lake as the Carvanha takes some recoil. Looks like the fight is on, what will you do?

Rob winced as he saw the teeth of the vicious fish sink into his partner's skin. "Come on Shell, I know you can do this!", the trainer thought to himself before the aquatic reptile unleashed another Rock Smash on the piranha freeing himself from its grip. The Carvahna then charged with a Take Down sending Shell deeper into the bottom.*

The young trainer felt a little nervous as he remembered all that he knew from his battles back home. "This is definitely not like any of the battles I had back home. I cannot let Shell down..." Taking a few deep breaths he knew that Shell needed to know what to do next in order for them to win. "Okay Shell, you are doing amazing. Use a Fake Out attack on Carvahna. After that try and swim up and crush it with a Waterfall, and then hit it with a Tail Whip! I know you can do this buddy!"

A tourist magnet, Whale Island is a large region of land that was formed from volcanic activity a millennia ago. There is a strange abundance of electrical energy present on this island which, rather than posing a problem, has complemented the island entirely. The entire area is a haven for water Pokémon with even the mountain craters filled to the brim, the abundance of water sports and holiday travel locations ensuring the time you spend here is never dull. Cities and townships are located all across the island, with resorts, inns, and travel lodges in ample supply. The Hydra River is the main waterway, starting up in the north-west area of the island and down through the Central Plains where the great Hydro-Electric Dam has been constructed, before leading down to the south-eastern corner of the island and back out to sea. Whether it's action water sports you're after, or just lazing on a nice stretch of beach somewhere, you'll definitely find the place you're looking for on the famous Whale Island.

East Coast

By far the most popular tourist destination spot, the East Coast of Whale Island seems to be constantly abuzz with activity both day and night. Unfortunately the downside to this is the crime rate has risen so be sure to keep an eye out for the con artists and thieves who are looking to swindle unsuspecting travellers out of their holiday spending money. Despite this downside the east coast is a great place to holiday, especially if you're looking to make the most of daytime and night time entertainment.

Areas:Seaside City: Built up over time, Seaside City has attracted quite a number of tourists as well as long-term residents. It is now a sprawling city with all the trimmings, including shopping malls, schools, parks, and industrial sector. With plenty to do and places to visit, you'd be hard-pressed for a lazy time.

Charm walked through the sprawling city, awestruck by the vast numbers of people and the huge buildings. Apollo the Combusken walked beside him with a similar expression. This is certainly a lot different from the small farm in the Hoenn region that they came from. Apollo began slowing his pace to take a better look at his surroundings.

"Stay close beside me, Apollo. It could be easy to get lost with all these people around," Charm said. The young fowl nodded and quickly went back beside his trainer.

They continued strolling through Seaside City, seeing kids happily running out of school after dismissal and many tourists walking in and out of shopping malls. They took their stop in a park and sat on a bench.

"Hmm, this city is quite big. There's so much to do and at the same time I don't know where to start. Where do you think we should go?... Apollo?"

The Combusken was caught dozing off and woke from his day dream, looking to his trainer with a shrug. The duo waited for ideas to pop in their heads as they watched civilians and their pokemon play in the park.

Stark: It had been years since your last adventure, and with some new recruits to break in you set your sights on Cascade Waterfall. Trekking through one of the remote forests of the Southern Gulf, you find yourself in awe of the tropical atmosphere. Passing the colonies of Shroomish you spot a small yellow arachnid spinning its web from one tree to another in hopes of catching a tasty Spearow. Circling in awe whilst nearing the tropical lagoon you stumble as you reach a break in the tall trees. You’d reached the foot of your destination! Just ahead stood a powerful waterfall cascading from the height of a full-grown Steelix - forming a rainbow against the diamond-dust spray. The plunge pool just a stretch away covered the entire forest opening, the noise of wild Pokemon strident as colonies of water Pokémon bathed on the few rocks that jutted above the lake, among them Poliwag and Corphish coupled with their respected families. A few Goldeen and Lumineon leap up from the water before splashing back in, with Clamperl and Cloyster nestled mysteriously at the depth of the lake. Outskirting the lake was a herd of Phanpy squirting jets of water playfully at one another as its mother observed protectively.

It doesn’t take long for you to head toward the water bank in hopes of cooling off. However just as you reach the coast, a series of violent bubbling starts to appear in the deepest part of the pool. Before you can hesitate, a deafening screech splits through the air, a large slinky sea monster breaking through to the surface. Water drips down its slimy navy hide, its head reeling forward as the yellow spots up its fins and head light up. Opening its leechy mouth it emits another shriek, this time sending the local Pokémon fleeing for their lives. The fish dart into shallower waters, the molluscs latching their shells shut tight and the water drinking Pokémon make a break for it in the forests. However this Pokémon was as lightning fast as the sparks surging down its body, leaping underwater and latching onto a Cloyster with its powerful claws. In a quick show of strength the lamprey rips open the bivalve, glugging its gooey insides with its sucker mouth. The eel rebounds up to the surface, making quick work of a Poliwhirl perched on a rock and stunning a nearby Seaking with its Thunder Wave. Unless something is done fast, it won’t take long for the Eelektross to devastate the waterfall’s ecosystem...

Stark stared at the display of gluttony before him with sadness. Just a few minutes earlier this place was one of peaceful balance and beauty. Sure seeing the spider try to catch a Spearow rankled him a little, but Stark had no doubt that a spearow could outsmart a bug like that any day. Of course, he was a little biased, but that didn't change what he believed. However, all of that was on the verge of disappearing thanks to the arrival of this monster. Where did such a creature come from anyway?

The trainer tried to steel himself against the flight response screaming at him from within. There was no doubt that fleeing was the best idea, but if he did, this place of wonder could quite possibly become a wasteland. The kind of place that was once amazing and now is dangerously off limits. Backing up slowly the trainer grabbed his pokedex and scanned the creature. He had never seen a leech like this before, but the display of electrical power made him realize that he didn't exactly have an advantage with the young pokemon he had brought with him on this journey.

"Elektross. The EleFish Pokémon. They crawl out of the ocean using their arms. They will attack prey on shore and immediately drag it into the ocean," the digital voice informed him.

The ocean? That just reinforced the question of how such a creature came to be here. Stark put away his pokedex and grabbed a ball from his belt. Regardless, there was no point in trying to talk to the creature. Stark already could tell why it was there. It was hungry. And if it was allowed to continue to feed then the repercussions could be terrible. the trainer tossed his pokeball out in front of him, "Riolu! come on out!"

A flash of white light exploded into the form of a small bipedal canine who promptly swung his arms out to the sides as it moved into an attack stance. "Riolu!"

"Alright pal, I know it's been a while since you've actually been in a fight, and this isn't exactly the kind of fight I would have preferred to put you in, but we have to stop that Elektross before it destroys everything around here," Stark explained to his partner, "I know that thing is a little intimidating, but I have confidence that you can beat it. Are you ready?"

The small dog nodded with a growl as it narrowed it's eyes at the large eel. Sure the thing had size and probably power as an advantage, but it was lacking the friendship Stark and his partner shared. That by itself was the greatest advantage the trainer could think of, "Alright then Riolu, let's see if we can get it's attention. I hope you don't mind getting a little wet. Use a Hi Jump Kick and then when you land go for a Sky Uppercut! We'll see if we can't hit it hard enough to scare it off. Now go for it!"

Whale Island Adventures: Batch 4

Apologies to Flame Mistress and Mon1010. Will prioritize your updates for next week's batch.

::Pieli Harbour::

uhhhh: Eagerness was being written all over your face at the prospect of spending some good quality time at the nearby beach. The idea of a Pokémon contest interested you, even if you weren't quite as confident coming out fresh from a loss, and the promise of being introduced to a knowledgeable contact in the world of photography tempted you further. With nothing else to do at Pieli Harbour your decision didn't need much thinking, and thus you decide to give it a shot. You're suddenly stricken with fear of accidentally missing out on the event however, as you remember and shamefully admit your horrible sense of direction which brought you to the complete opposite side of the island instead of your original destination, Delphin Harbour.

"Wow, really? I mean, I know I'm kind of an airhead, but that sounds like kind of a bit too much," Angie said, looking at you with a half-amused, half-incredulous face.

"Angie! Don't be mean!" Kim replied, though her face had a similar expression.

"Don't worry, silly," she turned to you. "Yeah, we're going to Ampere Beach, and we did ask you to come with us after all, so you can't get lost unless we do, ha hah! It's just a short walk straight down this street, like five blocks ahead, I think. We should be there in no time!"

That sounded easy enough, and surely it would be unmissable once you got there. However long it would take to get there, time would just fly by as the beauty duo kept chatting with you about how awesome the previous contest was; their comments, always full of laughter and giggles, mostly having to do with how cute the other Pokémon were. You weren't yet out of Pieli however as you all suddenly stop in front of a local and humble seafood restaurant at Angie's urgent request.

"Eww, do you really have to hit the restroom here? This place smells like fish and beer," Kim complained. "I swear there was a nice coffee shop like a minute ago."

"Yes, I have to! I'll be back in a minute! Just do me a favor and buy me a bottle of Fizzy Bubbleh or something," Angie responded hastily.

"We're gonna be late!" Kim insisted, trying to put some pressure.

"Back in a minute!" Angie snapped back, already rushing inside and you could see Kim pout and then sigh in defeat.

"I don't know why, but I really don't like it here..." Kim turned to you now, a bit restless. "I guess we'll have to wait. Knowing her, she can take a while there, and I don't want you to miss getting in line because of us, Connor. You sure you don't wanna go on by yourself? You're literally at less than five minutes away, and you don't have to wait for us if you don't want to. Once you get there you can't possibly miss the event, I think."

She's probably saying that out of courtesy, but it may be for the best to keep going alone?

What will you do?

::Ampere Beach::

Empoleon-Dynamite: Attitude was the word of the day as both you and your juvenile Scraggy stroll down the creaky, sand-strewn boardwalk of what is the largest and most famous coastal beach of Whale Island, if not Fizzytopia itself, Ampere Beach; the both of you almost simultaneously donning on a pair of cool shades to protect your eyes from the searing sun's rays. It was your intention to spend a nice vacation with some of your younger and less experienced Pokémon, and this place seemed just perfect for that occasion with its fine, warm and soothing electrical sands.

As expected, the area was crowded with hundreds of tourists and locals alike, most accompanied by their respective Pokémon and all of whom seemed to have a good time playing games, building sand structures, burrowing themselves under the sand or simply relaxing under the protection of a colorful umbrella. You only hoped you could find a nice spot soon as your arm already started tiring out from lugging around your other Pokémon, Guppy, within the heavy plastic bucket; the Magikarp pathetically weak as one would expect from such a specimen, but incredibly special as well with his rare golden scales shimmering under the bright sunlight. The experience would only do him good you thought, but so far he only seemed interested in flopping about, splashing you with salt water every now and then. Sitch on the other hand was busy enough cooking up nasty plots of his own; perhaps sometime later he would try and steal a fancy belt from an unsuspecting tourist, or destroy some unfortunate kid's sand castle.

You finally find a nice patch of sand and you decide it's about time to set up camp, calling out to Sitch with a grin on your face to make haste. You frantically skirt down the beach as your naked feet get both burned and jolted, not quite prepared for the sensation; Sitch on the other hand had no such problem thanks to his leathery soles and Guppy just kept on flopping on the safety of his bucket, seemingly unaware of your pain. You quickly roll out a towel while sitch sets up the metallic sun reflector and in no time you find yourself basking under the sun, slowly lulling yourself to sleep with the constant sound of the waves.

"Hey you! You think you're the lord of the beach or something?" You're suddenly woken up by the booming roar of a man, tall, tanned and very well built as you notice his pectorals flex almost by their own will. "Yes, I'm talking to you!" He points your finger in your direction. "I've seen you going on about with that smug grin like you're the best or something... showing off those golden scales like they're all that special. You think you're the hottest Magikarp on this beach? Well, my Magikarp has something to say about that! You show me what you're made of, punk!"

You realize the crazy guido seems to be talking to Guppy, and as you turn to look at your shiny Magikarp he looks back at you a tad confused, flopping feebly as always. This could be good experience for your weakest of partners though.

What will you do?

::Crater Lake

jolteonjak: Finding relief as you finally sit down, you explain you had come over after having heard so much about Crater Lake from your parents. You liked what you had seen so far, and you were eager to explore the area further and see in person what different Pokémon made this place their home. Appreciating the hospitality, you then introduce yourself and you extend your hand to the elderly man who firmly garsped it with his own, nodding in approval of the gesture.

"Well, it's nice to mett you, Chad. I like you already! You remind me of my own son when he was your age; good looking and well-mannered, he was," he chuckled, his smile barely visible behind his thick, snow-white beard, but you could see happiness reflect on his clear, sky-blue eyes.

"Please don't bother helping out with dinner, my grandaughter will take care of that once she's done cleaning upstairs. I'm going fishing early tomorrow morning, and if you wanna come over then you'd better get some good rest, lad. Hopefully, you'll see plenty of what the lake has to offer. You know, when this lake was first formed there was no form of life that could call this place home; bird Pokémon had no business here; the land-dwellers were forced out for the most part and the fish had no way to access this area by themselves. People eventually brought water Pokémon long ago and they've settled and reproduced succesfully here. There's just something about these waters that makes them grow nice and strong. Why, I drink it myself everyday and I still feel like I'm on my fifty's!" He laughed out oud. "Pedro over here is the best example of what miracles these waters do on Pokémon; just look at 'im! You would never have guessed it, but he's a feral one; never once been inside a Pokéball before, and we never considered depriving 'im of his freedom. He's as tame as a doped puppy though, and is like part of the family now. Some travellers have actually tried to catch him, but they're always shocked to see just how vicious and cunning it is in battle, almost like he's making up for every bit of uselessness at everything else. Eh, I still love that living sack of bricks like I would one of my own children, though." He paused for a second.

"But I digress. I'm gonna head back to the office to take care of some business. Your room is the second door to the right upstairs. Just feel free to take the key from behind the counter over there, and do whatever you want from there; dinner will be ready at eight." He finished rambling as he turned around and slowly moved back to his solitary confinement. Pedro still stood next to the door entrance, awkwardly watching you with his expresionless stare. It seems you have some time to spare now, and whether you spent it alone or meeting up with the other residents was up to you.

What will you do?

::Raikou's Effigy::

Nightfall715: With your catch suddenly running away from you Black almost instantly chases off in hot Pursuit. How dare it do such harm to her and than run away like that? The Purrloin just wouldn't allow it; awaiting for orders be damned, she would make that Shinx pay no matter what. You call out to your Pokémon, but your words all fell on deaf ears. Graoning in frustration you turn to the man and demand an explanation for his sudden intrusion, looking clearly annoyed at the current turn of events but still trying to restrain yourself so as to keep some semblance of civility.

It was almost like a cat suddenly ate the man's tongue, however, as he suddenly looked at you in shock, wondering if he should answer your question right away or press you to attend the more important business regarding Black's impulsive decision. He stuttered to find the right words, but finally speaks out.

"I... you see... I study Pokémon behavior around this area and I had been observing that Shinx for several weeks now. It always remains close to this effigy, and flees from people on sight, but when I saw it suddenly interested on you I just got carried away! It was so unusual. It must've sensed me here... and... ooooh, this is all my fault. I seriously didn't mean to interr-" he started explaining in a hurried mess and you could barely make out what he was saying, but he was cut short as you both hear the cries and sounds of battle from beyond the mist, ever fading further and further away. It seems you Pokémon had caught up to its target, but it was out of your sight now and from what you could hear it seems the Shinx was doing whatever it could to keep the distance growing more and more. It was impossible to tell what was going on over there, and when complete silence suddenly fills the clearing you started fearing for the worst. As independent and self-sufficient as Black is, checking up on her now might be the best of ideas.

What will you do?

::The Lighthouse::

Marion Ette: You feel overwhelmed by such an intense channeling of negative emotion and energy, and, coupled with the blinding and impenetrable darkness that you were finding yourself in, your footsteps were becoming precariously unsteady as you went down the creaking stairs. August was there for you at all times though, giving you her absolute support so as to keep you safe after every single step. Her presence was reassuring but didn't quite yet manage to shake out the remnants of ethereal ire within your body. At least the spirits were leaving you alone for the time being, for whatever reason, and you proceed to further try and calm yourself by humming, then singing, a little melody. It works wonders, and before you knew it you find yourself at the bottom of the stairs, gently halted by your ever-watchful partner.

You stop to think for a moment about what to do next, and you acknowledge that some sort of light source would be ideal to navigate the area, but instead you opt for a different and less intrusive approach as you grope one of your Pokéballs, a Friend Ball, releasing your friendly neighborhood vampire, Sangre; the flash of light from the Pokéball only briefly illuminating the room as the Crobat was summoned unto the air, and likewise briefly blinding your eyes as such a bright light would to any other with such dilated pupils. You signal Sangre to come closer and though the darkness obscured all, the Crobat needed not his eyesight to "see" your command; truly, there isn't a more well-suited partner to navigate through to such environments, the Crobat's echolocation sensing everything about his surroundings thanks to his advanced sense of hearing alone. His flight was silent, but you could feel the beat of his wings as he got closer. You whisper your orders, asking the bat Pokémon to lead the way and scout for any signs of imminent danger and, though unseen to you, Sangre nods, having heard you loud and clear.

Slowly and carefully, you move about on the obscure basement, following the blood-thirsty Sangre while August still watched over you, making sure you wouldn't step against a random object on the floor. You could now clearly hear the humming of the electric generators to your side, against one of the basement's walls. Save for them, the room was relatively silent and empty, and you can't help feeling something awfully wrong about that, as if this was a sign that ominously foreshadowed some terrible misfortune that had yet to come, despite your complete trust in Sangre's abilities. There was calm before the storm, it was said.

You follow Sangre into what feels like a tighter room as you cross some entrance with its door already wide open. You hear Sangre suddenly cry out in warning and you signal August to Punch her Fire-coated fist into the air, which she promtly does, revealing your surrounding to be some sort of living room as you notice a small bed, a table with a small note on top of it, and four Rattatta who looked at you from a hole on the wall; the small mouse Pokémon quickly retreating back to safety at sight. August starts looking around, keeping her fist ablaze for as long as she could in search of any other threat, and you could see Sangre doing the same. Though there was nothing dangerous in sight, you stay on your toes, carefully looking around you; Sangre wouldn't make a fuss over a mere quartet of Rattatta after all. You walk over to the small wodden desk and you notice a wierd sort of rune carved right on top of it as you pick up the small, paper note. The note itself had a very short message, written all in big and jagged capital letters, blood red in color.

A very cryptic message, to say the least. It was as if someone just wrote whatever random words came to mind. You didn't have much time to think about it however, as Sangre started almost schreeching now, and as you turn around you get to see hundreds of pair of eyes pop up one after the other, gleaming against August's flame as they stared at you all. An awkward second of silence goes by and they all suddenly rush towards you, a mantle of Rattatta running through floor and wall alike. Swarmed by rats was probably not on your list of likely ways to die, but if you don't do something soon your story may very well end right now.

OOC: I could have gone on for awhile with the introduction of Heracross, but I think it would become too drawn out. I hope it's not too long. hehe

Originally Posted by Balmund

::Crater Lake

jolteonjak: Finding relief as you finally sit down, you explain you had come over after having heard so much about Crater Lake from your parents. You liked what you had seen so far, and you were eager to explore the area further and see in person what different Pokémon made this place their home. Appreciating the hospitality, you then introduce yourself and you extend your hand to the elderly man who firmly garsped it with his own, nodding in approval of the gesture.

"Well, it's nice to mett you, Chad. I like you already! You remind me of my own son when he was your age; good looking and well-mannered, he was," he chuckled, his smile barely visible behind his thick, snow-white beard, but you could see happiness reflect on his clear, sky-blue eyes.

"Please don't bother helping out with dinner, my grandaughter will take care of that once she's done cleaning upstairs. I'm going fishing early tomorrow morning, and if you wanna come over then you'd better get some good rest, lad. Hopefully, you'll see plenty of what the lake has to offer. You know, when this lake was first formed there was no form of life that could call this place home; bird Pokémon had no business here; the land-dwellers were forced out for the most part and the fish had no way to access this area by themselves. People eventually brought water Pokémon long ago and they've settled and reproduced succesfully here. There's just something about these waters that makes them grow nice and strong. Why, I drink it myself everyday and I still feel like I'm on my fifty's!" He laughed out oud. "Pedro over here is the best example of what miracles these waters do on Pokémon; just look at 'im! You would never have guessed it, but he's a feral one; never once been inside a Pokéball before, and we never considered depriving 'im of his freedom. He's as tame as a doped puppy though, and is like part of the family now. Some travellers have actually tried to catch him, but they're always shocked to see just how vicious and cunning it is in battle, almost like he's making up for every bit of uselessness at everything else. Eh, I still love that living sack of bricks like I would one of my own children, though." He paused for a second.

"But I digress. I'm gonna head back to the office to take care of some business. Your room is the second door to the right upstairs. Just feel free to take the key from behind the counter over there, and do whatever you want from there; dinner will be ready at eight." He finished rambling as he turned around and slowly moved back to his solitary confinement. Pedro still stood next to the door entrance, awkwardly watching you with his expresionless stare. It seems you have some time to spare now, and whether you spent it alone or meeting up with the other residents was up to you.

What will you do?

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Chad" the old man said as they both shook hands.

"Nice to meet you too, sir," Chad immediately resonded.

"I like you already! You remind me of my own son when he was your age; good looking and well-mannered, he was," he chuckled. It seemed like the old man was happy, not by smiling, but by the look in his light blue eyes. The old man had white beard, thick and hiding most of his facial expressions.

"Please don't bother helping out with dinner, my granddaughter will take care of that once she's done cleaning upstairs," the old man continued. "I'm going fishing early tomorrow morning, and if you wanna come over then you'd better get some good rest, lad. Hopefully, you'll see plenty of what the lake has to offer."

"You know, when this lake was first formed there was no form of life that could call this place home; bird Pokemon had no business here; the land-dwellers were forced out for the most part; and the fish had no way to access this area by themselves."

"Really? That's interesting."

"People eventually brought water Pokemon long ago, and they've settled and reproduced successfully here," Chad was listening intently. "There's just something about these waters that makes them grow nice and strong. Why, I drink it myself everyday, and I still feel like I'm in my fifties!" He laughed out loud. "Pedro over here is the best example of what miracles these waters do on Pokemon; just look at 'im!" Chad turned and looked at the Quagsire. "You would never have guessed it, but he's a feral one; never once been inside a Pokeball before, and we never considered depriving 'im of his freedom. He's as tame as a doped puppy though and is like part of the family now. Some travellers have actually tried to catch him, but they're always shocked to see just how vicious and cunning it is in battle, almost like he's making up for every bit of uselessness at everything else. Eh, I still love that living sack of bricks like I would one of my own children, though." the old man paused.

"Wow!" Chad said surprised and still looking at Pedro.

"But I digress. I'm gonna head back to the office to take care of some business," Chad turned back to the old man. "Your room is the second door to the right upstairs. Just feel free to take the key from behind the counter over there, and do whatever you want from there; dinner will be ready at eight." The elderly man turned and began walking back to his office.

Chad turned again to look at Pedro momentarily. Pedro was standing by the door, watching Chad and Cyndaquil vacantly. Chad picked Cyndaquil up and put him on the table. "Let's go check our room out Cyndaquil," Chad said grabbing the room key the old man left for him. "What do you say we walk around the property outside for a little while before supper? I can properly introduce you to Heracross. I'm sure he'd enjoy a stroll as well." The pair walked upstairs and found their room, second door on the right. Chad opened the door, and they entered the room. Chad tossed his bag on the bed, and he jumped on it. "This bed is so comfy!" Cyndaquil hopped up too. "Let's just relax a few more minutes, then we'll head outside."

After a half hour or so, Chad got off the bed. After putting his bag on the dresser, he went over to Cyndaquil, who was napping peacefully on the bed. "C'mon buddy let's go for a walk before supper," he said. Cyndaquil woke and looked at Chad and squeaked softly. Chad and Cyndaquil left the room and walked downstairs towards the door and stopped at Pedro.

Chad took a small book out of his pocket and looked in it. "Uh.. Pedro, me gustaría ir a dar un paseo alrededor de la posada para conocer mejor a la zona," Chad was trying to be careful to get all the words out correctly, even though he wasn't. "Estaré de vuelta antes de cenar," Chad reached for the door. "Por favor."

Outside now, Chad and Cyndaquil walked around together looking at the sights before them. The lake was truly a beautiful place. They stopped at a clearing. "I think this will be a good spot," Chad said reaching in his pocket for a red and white Pokeball. He tossed it in the air, and it burst with a flash of light. In front of Chad appeared a dark blue bug, a little shorter than Chad, with a big long axe-like horn on his head. "Cyndaquil, meet Heracross."

Cyndaquil walked up to the new Pokemon standing in front of him. He lifted his paw waving and squeaked, "Quill!"

"Cross!" Heracross cried, stepping back. Not only did the sight of Cyndaquil frighten him, but Cyndaquil's flame was ignited.

"Cyndaquil! Extinguish your flame! You're scaring Heracross!" Chad exclaimed running over to Heracross. "I'm sorry buddy. Cyndaquil didn't mean any harm." Chad extended his hand to his bug. "The Daycare told me how well you've been doing in the care for the past couple weeks. I figured I'd bring you along with us to Crater Lake. Look around. Isn't it great here?" Heracross didn't seem as enthused as Chad, and he noticed. "You'd rather be in a forest, wouldn't you? We'll visit one sometime." Chad smiled.

Cyndaquil attempted another greeting with Heracross, but Heracross was still a little apprehensive.

"Ok you two," Chad began, "let's walk around some more before supper." He turned to Heracross. "I'd like to leave you out of your Pokeball for the time being. Will you stay with us as we explore?"

Nightfall715: With your catch suddenly running away from you Black almost instantly chases off in hot Pursuit. How dare it do such harm to her and than run away like that? The Purrloin just wouldn't allow it; awaiting for orders be damned, she would make that Shinx pay no matter what. You call out to your Pokémon, but your words all fell on deaf ears. Graoning in frustration you turn to the man and demand an explanation for his sudden intrusion, looking clearly annoyed at the current turn of events but still trying to restrain yourself so as to keep some semblance of civility.

It was almost like a cat suddenly ate the man's tongue, however, as he suddenly looked at you in shock, wondering if he should answer your question right away or press you to attend the more important business regarding Black's impulsive decision. He stuttered to find the right words, but finally speaks out.

"I... you see... I study Pokémon behavior around this area and I had been observing that Shinx for several weeks now. It always remains close to this effigy, and flees from people on sight, but when I saw it suddenly interested on you I just got carried away! It was so unusual. It must've sensed me here... and... ooooh, this is all my fault. I seriously didn't mean to interr-" he started explaining in a hurried mess and you could barely make out what he was saying, but he was cut short as you both hear the cries and sounds of battle from beyond the mist, ever fading further and further away. It seems you Pokémon had caught up to its target, but it was out of your sight now and from what you could hear it seems the Shinx was doing whatever it could to keep the distance growing more and more. It was impossible to tell what was going on over there, and when complete silence suddenly fills the clearing you started fearing for the worst. As independent and self-sufficient as Black is, checking up on her now might be the best of ideas.

What will you do?

HA HA, IM LUCKY I GOT A HOUNDOURSorry Exuse my outburst

"I... you see... I study Pokémon behavior around this area and I had been observing that Shinx for several weeks now. It always remains close to this effigy, and flees from people on sight, but when I saw it suddenly interested on you I just got carried away! It was so unusual. It must've sensed me here... and... ooooh, this is all my fault. I seriously didn't mean to interr-" he started explaining in a hurried mess. Fiona eyed him suspeciously, as it was near impossible to tell what he was saying. Luckily, the rambler was cut short as you both hear the cries and sounds of battle from beyond the mist, ever fading further and further away. It seems Black had caught up to its target, but it was out of your sight now and from what you could hear it seems the Shinx was doing whatever it could to keep the distance growing more and more. It was impossible to tell what was going on over there, and when complete silence suddenly fills the clearing Fiona started fearing for the worst.

"Lucifer, we need you!" Fiona called, and out of her Pokéball a Black-and-red wolf-like pokémon appeared. It was a Houndour, and it started sniffing about, pulling up planets and trying to look frightining. Fiona always liked Dark and Fire type pokémon, but despite it's name Lucifer was about as adamant as you get, meaning stubborn. Course' he was a level 1, but he was swift to the chase ever since he was hatched. Fiona facepalmed and then looked stern. When she does, you better watch out, and Lucifer caught this and began to pace.

"Luce, go and chase down Black. We'll follow." Fiona told Lucifer, and he was off as quick as scat. Then she turned to the man. "You better come too." She told him, and she ran off.

Marion Ette: You feel overwhelmed by such an intense channeling of negative emotion and energy, and, coupled with the blinding and impenetrable darkness that you were finding yourself in, your footsteps were becoming precariously unsteady as you went down the creaking stairs. August was there for you at all times though, giving you her absolute support so as to keep you safe after every single step. Her presence was reassuring but didn't quite yet manage to shake out the remnants of ethereal ire within your body. At least the spirits were leaving you alone for the time being, for whatever reason, and you proceed to further try and calm yourself by humming, then singing, a little melody. It works wonders, and before you knew it you find yourself at the bottom of the stairs, gently halted by your ever-watchful partner.

You stop to think for a moment about what to do next, and you acknowledge that some sort of light source would be ideal to navigate the area, but instead you opt for a different and less intrusive approach as you grope one of your Pokéballs, a Friend Ball, releasing your friendly neighborhood vampire, Sangre; the flash of light from the Pokéball only briefly illuminating the room as the Crobat was summoned unto the air, and likewise briefly blinding your eyes as such a bright light would to any other with such dilated pupils. You signal Sangre to come closer and though the darkness obscured all, the Crobat needed not his eyesight to "see" your command; truly, there isn't a more well-suited partner to navigate through to such environments, the Crobat's echolocation sensing everything about his surroundings thanks to his advanced sense of hearing alone. His flight was silent, but you could feel the beat of his wings as he got closer. You whisper your orders, asking the bat Pokémon to lead the way and scout for any signs of imminent danger and, though unseen to you, Sangre nods, having heard you loud and clear.

Slowly and carefully, you move about on the obscure basement, following the blood-thirsty Sangre while August still watched over you, making sure you wouldn't step against a random object on the floor. You could now clearly hear the humming of the electric generators to your side, against one of the basement's walls. Save for them, the room was relatively silent and empty, and you can't help feeling something awfully wrong about that, as if this was a sign that ominously foreshadowed some terrible misfortune that had yet to come, despite your complete trust in Sangre's abilities. There was calm before the storm, it was said.

You follow Sangre into what feels like a tighter room as you cross some entrance with its door already wide open. You hear Sangre suddenly cry out in warning and you signal August to Punch her Fire-coated fist into the air, which she promtly does, revealing your surrounding to be some sort of living room as you notice a small bed, a table with a small note on top of it, and four Rattatta who looked at you from a hole on the wall; the small mouse Pokémon quickly retreating back to safety at sight. August starts looking around, keeping her fist ablaze for as long as she could in search of any other threat, and you could see Sangre doing the same. Though there was nothing dangerous in sight, you stay on your toes, carefully looking around you; Sangre wouldn't make a fuss over a mere quartet of Rattatta after all. You walk over to the small wodden desk and you notice a wierd sort of rune carved right on top of it as you pick up the small, paper note. The note itself had a very short message, written all in big and jagged capital letters, blood red in color.

A very cryptic message, to say the least. It was as if someone just wrote whatever random words came to mind. You didn't have much time to think about it however, as Sangre started almost schreeching now, and as you turn around you get to see hundreds of pair of eyes pop up one after the other, gleaming against August's flame as they stared at you all. An awkward second of silence goes by and they all suddenly rush towards you, a mantle of Rattatta running through floor and wall alike. Swarmed by rats was probably not on your list of likely ways to die, but if you don't do something soon your story may very well end right now.

What will you do?

Marion and her little group find themselves in what appears to be a small room. For an unmanned lighthouse, it seems strange that such a room would exist in the basement... Its mere presence sets Marion's mind racing with thoughts and questions. Even more curious is the note present on the table, with what appeared to Marion to be some sort of anagram. The ghostly trainer gingerly picks up the note, and inspects the blood red writing with great intensity. That intensity, however, is quickly shattered by the frightened screech of Sangre, as hundreds of Rattata appear to have noticed the three intruders and are ready to strike. "They can't just come from nowhere!" Marion shouts, almost to no one in particular. "Rats don't effing teleport! This can't be real... can it?"

August and Sangre do not seem to be taking any chances. Placing themselves defensively between the rats and their trainer, they attack the rats despite lacking orders; this action is not out of disrespect for their trainer, but out of a strange mix of love and the knowledge that Marion's questioning of the situation may easily get her killed if they don't act quickly. Crobat indicates to August to cover her eyes as he decides to start off the battle with Confuse Ray; the blinding flash of light would not only (hopefully) be visible to a large number of Rattata, but the disorienting light in the darkness may be enough to stun them temporarily. To follow up, August creates two Twisters among the Rattata using her powerful wings, in hopes that the Twister pair will suck in and take care of as many Rattata as possible. As Marion's Pokemon prepare to attack, Marion carefully places the note in her trainer bag with her other belongings, so as not to lose it. She observes the match carefully, convinced that there's more to these Rattata than meets the eye... After all, Sangre grew up as a cave dweller. Sensing Rattata would not be difficult for him. Why did all of these Rattata suddenly appear out of nowhere? It had to be an illusion or a trick, but who was creating it...? As Sangre unleashes its confuse ray, Marion takes the moment of light as an opportunity to quickly scan outside the room to see if there was anything outside potentially controlling/creating these Rattata...

uhhhh: Eagerness was being written all over your face at the prospect of spending some good quality time at the nearby beach. The idea of a Pokémon contest interested you, even if you weren't quite as confident coming out fresh from a loss, and the promise of being introduced to a knowledgeable contact in the world of photography tempted you further. With nothing else to do at Pieli Harbour your decision didn't need much thinking, and thus you decide to give it a shot. You're suddenly stricken with fear of accidentally missing out on the event however, as you remember and shamefully admit your horrible sense of direction which brought you to the complete opposite side of the island instead of your original destination, Delphin Harbour.

"Wow, really? I mean, I know I'm kind of an airhead, but that sounds like kind of a bit too much," Angie said, looking at you with a half-amused, half-incredulous face.

"Angie! Don't be mean!" Kim replied, though her face had a similar expression.

"Don't worry, silly," she turned to you. "Yeah, we're going to Ampere Beach, and we did ask you to come with us after all, so you can't get lost unless we do, ha hah! It's just a short walk straight down this street, like five blocks ahead, I think. We should be there in no time!"

That sounded easy enough, and surely it would be unmissable once you got there. However long it would take to get there, time would just fly by as the beauty duo kept chatting with you about how awesome the previous contest was; their comments, always full of laughter and giggles, mostly having to do with how cute the other Pokémon were. You weren't yet out of Pieli however as you all suddenly stop in front of a local and humble seafood restaurant at Angie's urgent request.

"Eww, do you really have to hit the restroom here? This place smells like fish and beer," Kim complained. "I swear there was a nice coffee shop like a minute ago."

"Yes, I have to! I'll be back in a minute! Just do me a favor and buy me a bottle of Fizzy Bubbleh or something," Angie responded hastily.

"We're gonna be late!" Kim insisted, trying to put some pressure.

"Back in a minute!" Angie snapped back, already rushing inside and you could see Kim pout and then sigh in defeat.

"I don't know why, but I really don't like it here..." Kim turned to you now, a bit restless. "I guess we'll have to wait. Knowing her, she can take a while there, and I don't want you to miss getting in line because of us, Connor. You sure you don't wanna go on by yourself? You're literally at less than five minutes away, and you don't have to wait for us if you don't want to. Once you get there you can't possibly miss the event, I think."

She's probably saying that out of courtesy, but it may be for the best to keep going alone?

What will you do?

"Wow, really? I mean, I know I'm kind of an airhead, but that sounds like kind of a bit too much," Angie said to Connor with a half-amused, half-incredulous look after saying his very unusual situation. Connor hung his head in shame even further. Gaspard just patted Connor with his tail-hand, trying to comfort him while Foster couldn't help but snicker at it.

"Angie! Don't be mean!" Kim replied, though her face had a similar expression. Connor sighed even further, "It's okay Kim, I know it's unbelievable as well but I've had worse," he said.

"Don't worry, silly," she turned to you. "Yeah, we're going to Ampere Beach, and we did ask you to come with us after all, so you can't get lost unless we do, ha hah! It's just a short walk straight down this street, like five blocks ahead, I think. We should be there in no time!" it was then that Connor smiled to them, as sign of appreciation, "Heh, thanks Angie. You too Kim. Now then, shall we get going?" he said to the two. They had began walking towards Ampere Beach.

Angie and Kim kept chatting with Connor as the five of them walked to Ampere Beach. It turns out that the two were quite enjoyable to have with as they never seem to run out of topics to talk about the contest they went to last year and always seemed to giggle and laugh, mostly about how cute the other Pokemon were at that time. Connor listened to them and even shared a bit on some of his adventures and shared with them some photos of the various areas he went to. The group kept having fun talking to each other until they stopped in front of a seafood restaurant.

"Hmm, what's the matter Angie? You hungry for some seafood?" he asked Angie. "Eww, do you really have to hit the restroom here? This place smells like fish and beer. I swear there was a nice coffee shop like a minute ago," Kim complained to Angie to which Connor responded, "Oh, I... see, eheh."

"Yes, I have to! I'll be back in a minute! Just do me a favor and buy me a bottle of Fizzy Bubbleh or something," Angie responded hastily.

"We're gonna be late!" Kim insisted, trying to put some pressure.

"Back in a minute!" Angie snapped back, as she went in to the restaurant and most likely into the restroom. Kim pouted and sighed in defeat.

"I don't know why, but I really don't like it here..." Kim turned to Connor who looked a bit restless. Connor and Gaspard showed a sign of concern towards Kim, "What's wrong Kim, something the matter?" to which Kim continued, "I guess we'll have to wait. Knowing her, she can take a while there, and I don't want you to miss getting in line because of us, Connor. You sure you don't wanna go on by yourself? You're literally at less than five minutes away, and you don't have to wait for us if you don't want to. Once you get there you can't possibly miss the event, I think."

"No no! It'd be rude for me if I just leave you two here," Connor said to Kim. "It's alright, I can wait for a while for you two. Besides, the event isn't going anywhere anyway right?" he added as Gaspard gave her his usual toothy grin who agreed with Connor. Foster doesn't seem to agree with them though, probably due to the fact that he still didn't like the two girls.

Bleh, I've been out of it lately. Sorry if my reply isn't good enough Bal. I had a rough week. ;_;